Infrared toaster

1. A toaster comprising:

a support configured to hold a bread product;

an infrared (IR) source arranged relative to the support and operable to direct IR energy to the bread product on the support;

a light source arranged relative to the support and operable to illuminate the bread product on the support while the IR source operates to direct IR energy;

a camera that operates to capture images of the bread product on the support;

a processor that receives the images from the camera, the processor analyzes successive images received from the camera and based upon the analysis operates the IR source to achieve a predetermined toasting level of the bread product; and

wherein the IR source is configured as an annulus and the camera is positioned centrally to the IR source.

2. The toaster of claim 1 , wherein the processor operates the IR source to terminate operation directing IR energy when the predetermined toasting level is reached.

3. The toaster of claim 1 , wherein analysis by the processor comprises calculating a difference image using a current acquired image of the images from the camera and evaluating the difference image based upon the predetermined toasting level.

4. The toaster of claim 3 , wherein the processor isolates pixels associated with the bread product in each of the images received from the camera, and evaluates the isolated pixels of the difference image based upon the predetermined toasting level.

5. The toaster of claim 4 , wherein the processor calculates an average pixel value from the isolated pixels of the difference image and compares the average pixel value to the predetermined toasting level.

6. The toaster of claim 5 , wherein the isolated pixels of the difference image each have a pixel difference value and the average pixel value is an average of the pixel difference values.

7. The toaster of claim 5 , wherein the isolated pixels of the difference image each have a normalized difference value and the average pixel value is an average of the normalized difference values.

8. The toaster of claim 7 , wherein the normalized difference values are normalized to an expected toasting range based upon an identification of a type of the bread product.

9. The toaster of claim 4 , wherein the processor applies edge detection to the captured images from the camera to isolate pixels in each of the images associated with the bread product.

10. The toaster of claim 1 , wherein the processor receives an input indicative of the predetermined toasting level.

11. The toaster of claim 10 , wherein the input is an identification of a bread product type and doneness, and the processor is communicatively connected to a kitchen management system which receives a customer order, identifies a toasted bread product for the received customer order and electronically communicates the bread product type and doneness of the toasted bread product for the received customer order to the processor.

12. The toaster of claim 1 , wherein the light source operates to illuminate the bread product on the support and the camera operates to capture images of the bread product on the support while the IR source simultaneously operates to direct IR energy to the bread product on the support.

13. The toaster of claim 1 , wherein the support is a tray configured to hold the bread product relative to the IR source and the processor operates the tray to release the bread product when the predetermined toasting level is reached.

14. The toaster of claim 1 , wherein the support is a conveyor operable to receive the bread product and move the bread product into a position relative to the IR source, the processor operates the conveyor to move the bread product away from the IR source when the predetermined toasting level is reached.

15. The toaster of claim 1 , wherein the camera comprises a wide-angle lens.

16. A toaster comprising:

a support configured to hold a bread product;

an infrared (IR) source arranged relative to the support and operable to direct IR energy to the bread product on the support;

a light source arranged relative to the support and operable to illuminate the bread product on the support while the IR source operates to direct IR energy;

a camera that operates to capture images of the bread product on the support;

a processor that receives the images from the camera, the processor analyzes successive images received from the camera and based upon the analysis operates the IR source to achieve a predetermined toasting level of the bread product; and

a forced gas source and a duct that opens about the camera between the camera and the IR source to produce a flow of forced gas about the camera.

17. The toaster of claim 16 , wherein the light source operates to illuminate the bread product on the support and the camera operates to capture images of the bread product on the support while the IR source simultaneously operates to direct IR energy to the bread product on the support.

18. The toaster of claim 16 , wherein the processor operates the IR source to terminate operation directing IR energy when the predetermined toasting level is reached.

19. The toaster of claim 16 , wherein analysis by the processor comprises calculating a difference image using a current acquired image of the images from the camera and evaluating the difference image based upon the predetermined toasting level.

20. The toaster of claim 16 , wherein the support is a tray configured to hold the bread product relative to the IR source and the processor operates the tray to release the bread product when the predetermined toasting level is reached.

21. The toaster of claim 16 , wherein the support is a conveyor operable to receive the bread product and move the bread product into a position relative to the IR source, the processor operates the conveyor to move the bread product away from the IR source when the predetermined toasting level is reached.