Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02633556 2012-08-20
ELECTRONIC COOKER AND METHOD FOR GAME USING THE SAME
Field
The present invention relates to an electronic cooker, and more particularly,
to an
electronic cooker adapted to execute a game during a cooking time for
performing a
cooking operation, and a method for the game using the same.
Background Art
In general, an electronic cooker is a cooking apparatus for performing a
cooking
operation by heating a cooking material through driving of a heater or
magnetron.
When the electronic cooker receives a cooking command from a user, the
electronic cooker performs a desired cooking operation by driving the heater
or magnetron
during a cooking time. In this case, the cooking time varies according to the
kinds of foods
to be cooked. For example, it takes only a few seconds to a few minutes to
simply warm a
food, but it takes a longer time to ferment a food in the electronic cooker.
For example, it
takes about 8 hours to ferment yogurt and about 48 hours to ferment soybeans.
The
fermentation time slightly varies according to the product performance of the
electronic
cooker. As described above, when a user cooks a food by the electronic cooker,
it takes at
least a few minutes up to a few hours to complete cooking.
Therefore, when the user cooks a food using the electronic cooker, he/she
cannot
efficiently use the time.
Except for the cooking function, the electronic cooker does not provide any
other
services. Thus, the user should wait until a cooking operation is finished. If
the user does
not have anything to do except the cooking, or if the cooking time is too
short for the user
to do another job, there is a problem in that the user cannot do anything else
for the
cooking time but waits for completion of the cooking operation.
Summary
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an
electronic
cooker. The cooker includes a memory for storing one or more game programs, an
input
unit for use in inputting a cooking command and a game selection command, a
display for
displaying said one or more game programs, and a control unit for performing
control such
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CA 02633556 2012-08-20
. .
that at least one of the game programs is displayed in response to input of
the cooking
command and such that any one of the displayed game programs is selected and
executed
in response to the game selection command.
The at least one of the game programs displayed may include only game programs
with a game time equal to a cooking time.
The input unit separately may include an input unit for the cooking command
and
an input unit for a game execution command.
The input unit may be provided as a single input unit with at least two
functions
so as to perform different functions according to mode conversion of the
control unit.
The at least two functions may include a cooking command and the game
selection command.
The control unit may terminate a cooking operation when the game is ended.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method
for
playing a game on an electronic cooker. The method involves the steps of
sensing a
cooking command and performing a cooking operation in response to sensing the
cooking
command displaying one or more game programs stored in advance, and selecting
one of
the displayed game programs, and executing the selected game program.
The step of performing the cooking operation further may involve the steps of
displaying the completion of cooking when the cooking operation is completed,
sensing a
game end command, and ending the game according to the sensed game end
command.
If a game selection command is input while the cooking operation is performed
due to the sensing of the cooking command, one or more of the game programs
may be
displayed and a game program selected among the displayed game programs is
executed.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method
for
playing a game on an electronic cooker. The method involves the steps of
sensing a
cooking command and performing a cooking operation, displaying a list of one
or more
game programs with a game time equal to a cooking time among game programs
stored in
advance when the cooking command is sensed, and selecting one of the game
programs
and executing the selected game program.
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The method may involve completing cooking if the game is ended.
The step of executing the game program may be performed in a game program
execution mode.
The present invention allows a user to cheerfully and usefully spend a cooking
time by playing a game during a cooking operation using the electronic cooker.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 is a view showing the configuration of an electronic cooker according
one
embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a cooking process including a method for a
game
using the electronic cooker according to one embodiment of the present
invention.
Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a cooking process including a method for a
game
using the electronic cooker according to a second embodiment of the present
invention.
Hereinafter, an electronic cooker and a method for a game using the same
according to preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described
in detail
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Detailed Description
Referring to Fig. 1, the electronic cooker includes a memory 10 for storing a
plurality of game programs. The game programs include game programs with fixed
game
times, game programs executed with scores rather than game times, various
simulation
games, and online games. In addition, the memory 10 stores various application
programs
including an operating system.
The game programs include those provided by an electronic cooker manufacturer
as well as those downloaded through a computer, a notebook computer system, a
portable
terminal (PMP, PDA, cellular phone, digital camera), a memory stick, and the
like. To this
end, the electronic cooker is provided with a connection port 20 to which such
apparatuses
are connectable. Generally, since these apparatuses have USB ports, the
connection port
20 is preferably provided as a USB port to easily receive the game programs.
However, if
the above apparatuses are provided with wireless communication ports, such as
an infrared
port, instead of the USB port that a wired connection medium, the electronic
cooker may
be provided with a wireless communication port for use in downloading the game
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programs in a wireless manner. The electronic cooker may be provided with a
communication module 30 connectable to a local area network, a general
switched
telephone network and a wireless communication network, for receiving and
executing
online games in real time.
The electronic cooker includes a keypad 40 for use in inputting various
commands
for cooking foods using the electronic cooker and in selecting/executing the
game
programs stored in the memory 10. Here, the keypad 40 is constructed to have
separate
keypads for use in inputting the cooking commands and in selecting/executing
the game
programs, or to have only a single keypad with the two functions of
instructing cooking
and game operations. In a case where the keypad 40 has a single keypad, if the
cooking
operation is started through input of a cooking command, the function of the
keypad 40 is
changed to enable a user to play games by using the game programs. For
example,
up/down movement button control commands for selecting a cooking menu are
recognized
as up/down movement commands in the games, and right/left movement button
control
commands for selecting a cooking menu are recognized as right/left movement
commands
in the games.
The electronic cooker includes a control unit 50 for performing cooking
operations by controlling a heating cooking unit 70, which will be discussed
later, and
executing the game programs stored in the memory 10.
When a cooking command is input, the control unit 50 accesses the plurality of
game programs stored in the memory 10, and displays them on a display unit 60.
When
any one of the game programs is selected through the keypad 40, the control
unit 50
performs control such that the selected game program is executed.
In addition, when a cooking command is input, the control unit 50 performs
control such that a game program, which has a game time equal to a cooking
time
according to the input cooking command, among the plurality of game programs
stored in
the memory 10 is selected/executed. If one game program exists, the control
unit 50
performs control such that the game program is directly selected. If two or
more game
programs exist, the control unit 50 displays all the corresponding game
programs on the
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display unit 60. When any one of the game programs is selected through the
keypad 40,
the control unit 50 performs such that the selected game program is executed.
Meanwhile, in addition to a general display device for displaying only image
information, a touch screen device can be used as the display unit 60, so that
the user can
directly input an input command on the display unit 60. Accordingly, if the
display unit 60
is provided as a touch screen display device, manipulation of the keypad 40 is
performed
on the display unit 60.
Although not shown in the figure, the electronic cooker includes the heating
cooking unit 70 that comprises a magnetron for generating microwaves, a
plurality of
heaters for emitting heat, various blower fans for circulating or discharging
hot air in or
from the electronic cooker, sensors for sensing the internal state of a
cooking chamber, and
a turntable for rotating a cooking material. Sine the heating cooking unit 70
has the same
structure as a general cooking apparatus, a detailed explanation thereof will
be omitted.
A method for a game using the electronic cooker according to an embodiment of
the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Fig. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a cooking process including a method for a
game
using the electronic cooker according to a first embodiment of the present
invention.
In step S100, the control unit 50(hereinafter, referred to as
'microprocessor')
checks whether a cooking start command is input through the keypad 40. If the
cooking
start command is input, the microprocessor 50 starts cooking by driving the
heating
cooking unit 70 in step S102.
If the cooking start command is input, the microprocessor 50 accesses and
displays the plurality of game programs stored in the memory 10 in step S104,
and the
microprocessor 50 enables a user to select any one of the game programs in
step S106.
However, if a game selection command is input by means of manipulation of the
keypad
40 while a cooking operation is performed after the input of the cooking start
command,
the microprocessor 50 accesses and displays the plurality of game programs
stored in the
memory 10, and enables the user to select any one of the games.
Once the user selects any one of the game programs, the microprocessor 50
performs mode conversion of the current cooking mode into a game mode for
supporting
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the game in step S108. In step S110, the selected game program is displayed on
the
display unit 60 in the game mode, so that the user can play the game by
manipulating the
keypad 40.
While the microprocessor 50 controls both the cooking operation and the game,
the microprocessor 50 counts a cooking time by using an internal timer (step
S112). Until
the cooking time elapses, the cooking operation and the game are continuously
executed.
In step S114, after the cooking time has elapsed, the microprocessor 50 stops
the
driving of the heating cooking unit 70 to complete the cooking operation. The
microprocessor 50 informs the user of the completion of cooking through the
display unit
60, so that the user can take out the cooked food (step S116).
In step S118, the microprocessor 50 checks whether a game end command is
input.
If the game end command is input, the microprocessor 50 ends the game (step
S120).
That is, in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention,
when
the cooking start command is input or when the game selection command is input
during
the cooking operation, the cooking mode is converted into the game mode for
executing
the game. Even after the cooking operation is terminated, the game can be
selectively
executed until the game end command is input.
A method for playing a game using the electronic cooker according to another
embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the
accompanying
drawings.
Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a cooking process including a method for a
game
using the electronic cooker according to a second embodiment of the present
invention.
In step S130, the microprocessor 50 checks whether a cooking start command is
input through the keypad 40. If the cooking start command is input, the
microprocessor 50
starts cooking by driving the heating cooking unit 70.
If the cooking start command is input, the microprocessor 50 displays, on the
display unit 60, a list of game programs, which have a game time equal to a
cooking time,
among the game programs stored in the memory 10 in step S132. If the user
designates a
game program in advance, the microprocessor 50 displays the game program on
the
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display unit 60 according to the cooking start command even through the game
time of the
game program is not equal to the cooking time or is not predetermined.
The microprocessor 50 enables the user to select one of the game programs
displayed on the display unit 60 (step S134).
When the user selects any one of the game programs, the microprocessor 50
performs mode conversion of the current cooking mode into a game mode for
supporting
the game (step S136). Therefore, the microprocessor 50 performs the cooking
operation
by driving the heating cooking unit 70 and simultaneously executes the
selected game
program (step S138).
If the cooking time has elapsed, i.e., the game time equal to the cooking time
has
elapsed and the game is ended in step S140, the microprocessor 50 stops the
driving of the
heating cooking unit 70 to complete the cooking operation in step S142. In
step S144, the
microprocessor 50 informs the user of the completion of cooking through the
display unit
60, so that the user can take out the cooked food.
That is, in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention,
since
the game with the game time equal to the cooking time is executed, the game
progressing
time indicates the degree of cooking progression. When the game is ended, the
completion
of cooking is informed.
As discussed in detail above, the present invention provides the following
advantages.
First, the electronic cooker can simultaneously execute a cooking operation
and a
game.
In addition, one of game programs with a game time equal to a cooking time and
game programs designated to be executed for a cooking time can be selected and
executed.
Accordingly, a user of the electronic cooker can play a game during a cooking
time, which provides superior competitiveness of the product.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been described and
illustrated,
such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only and
not as
limiting the invention as construed in accordance with the accompanying
claims.
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