US Patent 10228145 Cooking device with light pattern projector and camera

A cooking appliance includes a cooking chamber having a loading opening which is closable by a door. A light pattern projector is arranged in a fixed manner relative to the cooking chamber and configured to generate and radiate a light pattern into the cooking chamber. A camera captures images from a region being irradiated by the light pattern projector when the cooking chamber is closed, and is arranged in a fixed manner relative to the cooking chamber, Coupled to the camera is an analysis facility which repeatedly calculates a three-dimensional shape by light pattern analysis of an object located in the region being irradiated by the light pattern projector during operation of the cooking appliance.