Methods and systems for cooktop control
First Claim
1. A cooktop system comprising:
- a cooking surface;
at least one cooktop heater below said cooking surface;
a temperature sensor for generating a temperature signal representative of a cooktop temperature; and
a controller coupled to said heater and to said temperature sensor, said controller operable to detect drift utilizing said sensor temperature signal.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A cooktop comprising at least one cooktop heater and a controller coupled to the heater and operable to control operation of the heater, including cool down of the heater and drift detection, is described. In one embodiment, the cooktop further comprises a control interface coupled to the controller. The interface comprises a power setting selection unit for operator selection of a power level setting for the heater. The controller is configured to switch off supply of power to the heater if a second power level selection for the heater is a lower power level than a first power level selection, and to then resume standard heater operation once a temperature corresponding to the second power level selection is reached.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A cooktop system comprising:
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a cooking surface;
at least one cooktop heater below said cooking surface;
a temperature sensor for generating a temperature signal representative of a cooktop temperature; and
a controller coupled to said heater and to said temperature sensor, said controller operable to detect drift utilizing said sensor temperature signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A cooktop system comprising:
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at least one cooktop heater;
a controller coupled to said heater and operable to control supply of power to said heater; and
a control interface coupled to said controller, said interface comprising a selection unit for operator selection of a power level setting for said heater, said controller configured to switch off supply of power to said heater if a second power level selection for said heater is a lower power level than a first power level selection. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for controlling operation of a heater, said method comprising the step of:
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supplying power to the heater to maintain the heater at a first power level;
upon receipt of a command to reduce the power from the first power level to a second power level, switching off supply of power to the heater. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for detecting drift of a cooktop including at least one heater and at least one temperature sensor associated with the heater, said method comprising the step of:
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determining whether the temperature sensor is stable;
upon determining that the sensor is stable, determining a room temperature; and
determining whether a temperature representative signal from the temperature sensor has drifted below a preset amount from the determined room temperature. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A controller for coupling to a heater of a cooktop, said controller comprising a processor operable to:
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switch on supply of power to the heater upon receipt of a first command to energize the heater according to a first temperature or power selection; and
switch off supply of power to the heater upon receipt of a second command to energize the heater according to a second temperature or power selection. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification