Method of operating a cooking oven, in particular a steam cooking oven

Abstract

The present invention in particular relates to a method of operating a cooking oven, comprising: —receiving a manual user setting for one or more than one primary cooking parameters; and, —upon receipt of the one or more primary cooking parameters, executing an algorithm function for automatically and without further user input setting one or more than one additional secondary cooking parameters different from the received one or more primary cooking parameter —the execution of the algorithm function comprising: accessing an electronic database (4, 7), the electronic database (4, 7) including a mapping between the e primary and secondary cooking parameters; and by automatically and without user input setting the secondary cooking parameters for controlling the cooking process.

1 . A computer-implemented method of setting cooking parameters for operating a cooking oven for performing a steam cooking process in an oven cavity of the cooking oven, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
 receiving, at the cooking oven, a manual user setting for one or more than one primary cooking parameter(s) for performing a cooking process for cooking food items with the cooking oven, the primary cooking parameter(s) being selected from among a cooking temperature, a cooking temperature range, a cooking time, and one or more than one food-related cooking parameter(s); and   upon receipt of the one or more primary cooking parameter(s), executing, by a control unit of the cooking oven, an algorithm function for automatically and without further user input setting one or more than one secondary cooking parameter(s) different from the received one or more primary cooking parameter(s), said secondary cooking parameter(s) providing additional operational settings for performing the cooking process on the basis of the received one or more primary cooking parameter(s);   the execution of the algorithm function comprising:
 accessing an electronic database, the electronic database including a mapping between the one or more than one primary cooking parameter(s) on the one hand, and the one or more than one secondary cooking parameter(s) on the other hand; and 
 by the control unit automatically and without user input, selecting and setting the one or more than one secondary cooking parameter(s) for controlling the cooking process, based on the one or more than one received primary cooking parameter(s) and the mapped relationship provided by the electronic database. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the electronic database comprises a lookup table including one or more unequivocal mapping(s) between one or more than one primary cooking parameter(s) and one or more than one secondary cooking parameter(s); the mapping(s) including a mapping between one or more than one secondary cooking parameter(s) defining one or more humidity level(s) and one or more primary cooking parameter(s) defining steam cooking temperatures, steam cooking temperature ranges, a cooking time and/or a food-related cooking parameter to be received as the one or more than one primary cooking parameter(s) by manual user setting. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the database includes a number of predetermined cooking temperature ranges as primary cooking parameters, wherein each said cooking temperature range in the database corresponds to one particular humidity amount. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more primary cooking parameter(s) comprise a food-related cooking parameter selected from among: food weight, food volume, food temperature, food finishing. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , the cooking process comprising a first and a subsequent second cooking phase, wherein at least one of the one or more than one primary and/or secondary cooking parameter(s) is associated with the first cooking phase and/or second cooking phase. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more than one secondary cooking parameter(s) is associated with an operational setting of one or more heating element(s), one or more fan(s), one or more humidifier unit(s), one or more timer(s), respectively intended for controlling a current and/or subsequent cooking phase. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 receiving as an operational primary cooking parameter a user input setting the steam cooking time period, and   using the received operational primary cooking parameter setting the cooking time period as an operational parameter for controlling the stop time of the steam-cooking process.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the database includes a number of predetermined steam cooking time periods for steam cooking processes, wherein each said time period is assigned to a steam cooking temperature or steam cooking temperature range, and a steam cooking humidity level, and wherein the algorithm function is configured to set, based on a received steam cooking temperature or temperature level and/or time period as the primary cooking parameter, the steam cooking humidity level and further primary cooking parameters not received as user setting. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the database includes a number of kinds of food, wherein each kind of food is assigned to a particular combination of at least one primary cooking parameter to be set by the user and at least one secondary cooking parameter to be set by the algorithm function, the database optionally comprising at least one dataset comprising a mapping between one or more steam cooking temperature(s) or steam cooking temperature range(s), as the primary cooking parameter, and one or more than one steam cooking humidity level(s) or steam cooking humidity range(s) as the secondary cooking parameter(s). 
     
     
         10 . Steam cooking oven with at least one steam cooking function suitable for performing one or more cooking processes, the cooking oven comprising:
 at least one control unit for controlling the at least one cooking process,   the control unit being adapted for receiving a manual user setting for one or more than one primary cooking parameter(s) for cooking food items with the cooking oven, the primary cooking parameter(s) being selected from among steam cooking temperature, steam cooking temperature range, cooking time, and one or more than one food-related cooking parameter(s); and for automatically, without further user input setting or adjusting one or more than one secondary cooking parameter(s) different from the received one or more primary cooking parameter(s) for the cooking process on the basis of the received manual user setting;   an electronic database comprising a lookup table, implemented within and/or electronically accessible by the control unit, wherein the electronic database includes a plurality of datasets, each dataset comprising at least one mapping between a primary cooking parameter on the one hand and a secondary cooking parameter on the other hand,   
       wherein
 the control unit is adapted and set up for executing an algorithm function, the executing comprising:
 accessing the electronic database in response to receiving one or more than one primary cooking parameter setting(s) by a user; and 
 setting/identifying, based on the received one or more than one primary cooking parameter(s), the one or more than one secondary cooking parameter(s) for controlling the cooking process, the one or more than one secondary cooking parameter(s) being identified based on the received setting for the primary cooking parameter(s) and the mapping(s) as defined in the electronic database. 
 
 
     
     
         11 . The cooking oven of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more than one secondary cooking parameter(s) comprises at least one steam cooking humidity level, and wherein the control unit is configured to set the at least one steam cooking humidity level based on a received manual setting of a steam cooking temperature, a steam cooking temperature range, and/or a cooking time, and based on a corresponding mapping as defined in from the electronic database. 
     
     
         12 . The cooking oven according to  claim 10 , wherein the control unit is adapted and set up for activating a steam cooking process responsive to receiving as a manual setting by a user one or more than one of the primary cooking parameter(s), wherein one or more than one of the secondary cooking parameter(s) is set by the control unit as a steam cooking humidity level by accessing a database entry in the electronic database, the database entry corresponding to the received manual setting. 
     
     
         13 . The cooking oven according to  claim 12 , wherein the database includes a number of datasets, each dataset including a cooking temperature or cooking temperature range, and/or cooking time as one or more primary cooking parameter(s), and one or more assigned particular humidity level(s) as corresponding secondary operational parameters corresponding to one or more than one operational phase(s) of a steam cooking process. 
     
     
         14 . The cooking oven according to  claim 10 , the control unit comprising a non-transitory memory device storing instructions which, when executed by the control unit, cause the cooking oven to execute the method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . A computer program product comprising instructions stored on a computer readable non-volatile storage medium, the storage medium storing instructions configured for carrying out, when executed by a computing device, the method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         16 . A cooking method for performing an integrated cooking function, the method comprising:
 receiving a manual user setting for a first primary cooking parameter of the integrated cooking function, said first primary cooking parameter being selected from the following group: cooking temperature, cooking-temperature range, and parameters specific to a type or amount of food to be cooked via the integrated cooking function;   a control unit of a cooking oven that is implementing the integrated cooking function executing an algorithm for automatically and without further user input setting a first secondary cooking parameter for a first operational setting of the integrated cooking function based on the received first primary cooking parameter, said first secondary cooking parameter being other than those set forth in the aforementioned group;   said algorithm comprising:
 accessing a database that includes a mapping between values of the first primary cooking parameter and values of the first secondary cooking parameter, and 
 selecting and implementing in said integrated cooking function one of said values of the first secondary cooking parameter that has been mapped to a value of the received first primary parameter; and 
   said control unit executing said integrated cooking function based on the first primary parameter and the first secondary parameter.   
     
     
         17 . The cooking method according to  claim 16 , further comprising receiving a manual user setting for a second primary cooking parameter of the integrated cooking function, the first primary cooking parameter being the cooking temperature or the cooking temperature range and the second primary cooking parameter being the type of food to be cooked; said database comprising a plurality of datasets each corresponding to a particular type of food to be cooked and each containing a respective food-type-specific mapping of the values of said first primary parameter to the values of said first secondary parameter, said control unit selecting, via said algorithm, a value of the first secondary cooking parameter that has been mapped to a value of the received first primary cooking parameter within the dataset specific to the received second primary cooking parameter. 
     
     
         18 . The cooking method according to  claim 17 , said integrated cooking function being a steam-cooking function, said first secondary parameter being a humidity level within a cooking cavity wherein said steam-cooking function is executed. 
     
     
         19 . The cooking method according to  claim 18 , said control unit further automatically and without further user input setting a second secondary cooking parameter for a second operational setting of the steam-cooking function, said second secondary cooking parameter being selected via said algorithm from said dataset specific to said received second primary parameter, and from therein in dependence on both said first primary cooking parameter and said first secondary cooking parameter via one or more mapping(s) contained in said specific dataset, said second secondary cooking parameter being selected from among operational settings for heating elements and fans adapted to heat or circulate air within said cooking cavity. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 16 , said controller being adapted to prompt a user to select, from a group of predefined operational parameters for performing the integrated cooking function, one of said predefined operational parameters that is to be manually user-selected as the first primary cooking parameter, in dependence on which all remaining ones of the predefined operational parameters will be selected automatically by the controller via said algorithm based on mappings thereof with the received first primary cooking parameter, without further user input and in dependence on the received first primary cooking parameter.