Appliance control method, speech-based appliance control system, and cooking appliance

A method for controlling a cooking appliance using a user's speech in a speech-based appliance controller, the speech-based appliance controller including the cooking appliance and an audio input device that receives an input of user's speech, the cooking appliance including a first cooker and a second cooker, the method comprising:

• transmitting, to the cooking appliance via a first network, first cooking program information indicating a first cooking program, the first cooking program corresponding to a first cooking recipe, and second cooking program information indicating a second cooking program different from the first cooking program, the second cooking program corresponding to a second cooking recipe;
• recognizing, when instruction information including first audio information indicating operation instructions for the cooking appliance is received from the audio input device, and the first cooker is operated based on the first cooking program and the second cooker is operated based on the second cooking program, the operation instructions from the first audio information;
• determining, using a database that manages first cookware information indicating a name of a cookware item used in the first cooking recipe and second cookware information indicating the name of a cookware item used in the second cooking recipe, whether or not the instruction information includes the first audio information and second audio information related to the first cookware information or the second cookware information;
• and
• transmitting, when it is determined that the instruction information includes the second audio information, to the cooking appliance via the first network, a control command for causing the cooking appliance to execute a process corresponding to the operation instructions without executing a process that is based on the first cooking program or the second cooking program corresponding to one of the first cookware information or the second cookware information to which the second audio information is related.

A speech-based appliance control system comprising:

• a cooking appliance having a first cooker and a second cooker;
• an audio input device that receives an input of a user's speech;
• and
• a server connectable to the cooking appliance and the audio input device,
• the cooking appliance being controlled using the user's speech,
• the cooking appliance including
• a first communicator that receives, from the server, first cooking program information indicating the first cooking program, the first cooking program corresponding to a first cooking recipe, and second cooking program information indicating the second cooking program, the second cooking program corresponding to a second cooking recipe, and
• a second controller that causes the first cooker to operate based on a first cooking program, and causes the second cooker to operate based on a second cooking program different from the first cooking program,
• the audio input device including
• an audio acquirer that acquires instruction information including first audio information indicating operation instructions for the cooking appliance, and
• a second communicator that transmits the acquired instruction information to the server,
• the server including
• a third communicator that transmits the first cooking program information and the second cooking program information to the cooking appliance,
• a database that manages first cooking menu information indicating a name of a cooking menu item corresponding to the first cooking recipe and second cooking menu information indicating the name of a cooking menu item corresponding to the second cooking recipe,
• a determiner that, when the instruction information is received from the audio input device, and the first cooker is operated based on the first cooking program and the second cooker is operated based on the second cooking program, recognizes the operation instructions from the first audio information included in the received instruction information and determines whether or not the instruction information includes second audio information related to the first cooking menu information or the second cooking menu information, and
• a fourth communicator that, when it is determined that the instruction information includes the second audio information, transmits, to the cooking appliance a control command for causing the cooking appliance to execute a process corresponding to the operation instructions, without executing a process that is executed in accordance with the first cooking program or the second cooking program corresponding to one of the first cooking menu information or the second cooking menu information to which the second audio information is related.