# US 2017/0150842 A1 · Food preparation control system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0150842 A1 - Document ID: US20170150842A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/432,792 - Filed: 2017-02-14 - Published: 2017-06-01 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-21 - Assignees: Chefsteps, Inc. - Applicants: ChefSteps, Inc. - Inventors: Christopher Charles Young; Nelson Timothy Salazar; Emmett Barton; Michael Natkin; Douglas Eugene Baldwin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170150842A1 ## CPC - A47J 27/10: Cooking-vessels with water-bath arrangements for domestic use - A47J 36/321: {the electronic control being performed over a network, e.g. by means of a handheld device} - G05B 19/042: using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) - G05B 19/0426: {Programming the control sequence} - G05B 2219/2643: Oven, cooking - A47J: KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract Systems, methods, and articles to provide customized control of a cooking appliance, such as a sous vide cooker. A user provides a selection of one or more ending characteristics for a food product. A processor-based device determines one or more output food preparation parameters based on the user's selection of the one or more ending characteristics. Measurements of temperature, power delivery, or other characteristics may be obtained during cooking process. A cooking program controlling the cooking process may be revised or updated based at least in part on the obtained measurements or analysis of the measurements. Estimations or projections about the cooking process may be presented to a user via a user interface of the cooking appliance or a user interface of one or more computing devices (e.g., smartphone, tablet computer) associated with the user. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operation in a processor-based food preparation guidance system, the method comprising: receiving, via a user computing device, a request for preparation guidance for a food product; responsive to the received request, causing at least one of a first set of at least two graphical prompts to be displayed by the user computing device, each of the graphical prompts in the first set of at least two graphical prompts depicting a respective gradation of at least one first characteristic of the food product, the respective gradations being different from one another; receiving, via the user computing device, a selection related to at least one of the gradations of the at least one first characteristic of the food product; responsive to the received selection, causing, by at least one processor, a cooking program to be generated, the cooking program including at least one of instructions or data usable by a cooking appliance to perform a cooking process for the food product; and controlling, by the at least one processor, a cooking appliance to perform the cooking process which cooks the food product according to the cooking program. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: causing a notification to be displayed by the user computing device, the notification instructs a user to at least one of: place the food product in a food receiving portion of the cooking appliance, or remove the food product from a food receiving portion of the cooking appliance. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: causing at least one food preparation parameter to be displayed by the user computing device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein causing at least one food preparation parameter to be displayed by the user computing device comprises causing at least one of a temperature, a projected cooking time, or a projected cooking completion time to be displayed by the user computing device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a selection related to at least one of the gradations of the at least one first characteristic of the food product comprises receiving a selection of a temperature which relates to at least one of the gradations of the at least one first characteristic of the food product. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, via the user computing device, a selection of a desired cooking completion time indicative of a time by which a user desires the food product to be fully cooked; and causing a first notification to be displayed by the user computing device based at least in part on the received selection of the desired cooking completion time, the first notification instructs a user to turn on the cooking appliance. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: causing a second notification to be displayed by the user computing device based at least in part on the received selection of the desired cooking completion time, the second notification instructs a user to place the food product in a food receiving portion of the cooking appliance. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein causing at least one of a first set of at least two graphical prompts to be displayed by the user computing device comprises causing at least one of a first set of at least two graphical prompts to be displayed by the user computing device, each of the graphical prompts in the first set of at least two graphical prompts depicting respective different textures, consistencies, or doneness for the food product. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein causing at least one of a first set of at least two graphical prompts to be displayed by the user computing device comprises causing at least one of a first set of images or videos to be displayed by the user computing device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein causing at least one of a first set of at least two graphical prompts to be displayed by the user computing device comprises causing at least one of a first set of images or videos to be displayed by the user computing device, the first set of images or videos depicting a user interaction with the food product. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein causing at least one of a first set of images or videos to be displayed by the user computing device comprises causing at least one of a first set of images or videos to be displayed by the user computing device, the first set of images or videos depicting at least one of: cutting the food product, breaking the food product into one or more pieces, stirring the food product, pouring the food product, or manipulating the food product. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein causing a cooking program to be generated comprises causing a cooking program to be generated that includes at least one of instructions or data usable by a cooking appliance to perform a cooking process for the food product, the cooking appliance comprising an immersion circulator. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a request for preparation of a food product comprises receiving, by the at least one processor, a request for preparation of a food product from a remotely located client computing device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein causing a cooking program to be generated comprises causing the determination of at least one of a cooking temperature or a cooking time for the food product. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: subsequent to receiving the request for preparation of the food product, causing at least one supplemental prompt to be presented by a user computing device; receiving, via the user computing device, a response to the at least one supplemental prompt; and determining at least one food preparation parameter for the cooking program based at least in part on the received response to the supplemental prompt. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein causing at least one supplemental prompt to be presented by the user computing device comprises causing at least one supplemental prompt to be presented by the user computing device, the at least one supplemental prompt relating to at least one of a physical characteristic of the food product, an environmental condition, a food preparation condition, a size of the food product, a shape of the food product, a class of the food product, a temperature of the food product, an altitude, a geographic location, or a cooking method. ### Claim 17 A processor-based food preparation guidance system, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium, communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and which stores at least one of processor-executable instructions or data, wherein in use the at least one processor: receives a request for preparation guidance for a food product from a user computing device; responsive to the received request, causes at least one of a first set of at least two graphical prompts to be displayed by the user computing device, each of the graphical prompts in the first set of at least two graphical prompts depicting a respective gradation of at least one first characteristic of the food product, the respective gradations being different from one another; receives a selection related to at least one of the gradations of the at least one first characteristic of the food product; responsive to the received selection, causes a cooking program to be generated, the cooking program including at least one of instructions or data usable by a cooking appliance to perform a cooking process for the food product; and controls a cooking appliance to perform the cooking process which cooks the food product according to the cooking program. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The food preparation guidance system of claim 17 wherein the at least one processor: causes at least two food product selection prompts to be displayed by the user computing device, each of the at least two food product selection prompts associated with a different food product; and receives a selection of one of the at least two food products selection prompts. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The food preparation guidance system of claim 18 wherein the at least one processor: responsive to receiving the selection of one of the at least two food products selection prompts, causes at least one instructional image or instructional video associated with the selected food product to be displayed by the user computing device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The food preparation guidance system of claim 17 wherein the at least one processor: causes at least one food preparation parameter to be displayed by the user computing device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The food preparation guidance system of claim 17 wherein the at least one processor: causes at least one of a first set of at least two graphical prompts to be displayed by the user computing device, each of the graphical prompts in the first set of at least two graphical prompts depicting respective different textures, consistencies, or doneness for the food product. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The food preparation guidance system of claim 17 wherein the at least one processor: causes at least one of a first set of images or videos to be displayed by the user computing device. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The food preparation guidance system of claim 17 wherein the at least one processor: causes at least one of a first set of images or videos to be displayed by the user computing device, the first set of images or videos depicting a user interaction with the food product. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The food preparation guidance system of claim 23 wherein the at least one processor: causes at least one of a first set of images or videos to be displayed by the user computing device, the first set of images or videos depicting at least one of: cutting the food product, breaking the food product into one or more pieces, stirring the food product, pouring the food product, or manipulating the food product.