RFID-controlled smart induction range and method of cooking and heating

• US 20040149736A1
• Filed: 01/31/2003
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HR Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Thermal Solutions Incorporated (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Clothier, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 6,953,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/627
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2213/06 Cook-top or cookware capable of communicating with each other
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/062 for cooking plates or the like

Abstract

A system and method for providing multiple cooking modes and an ability to automatically heat cooking vessels and other objects using RFID technology, and an ability to read and write heating instructions and to interactively assist in their execution. An induction heating range is provided with two antennas per hob, and includes a user interface display and input mechanism. The vessel includes an RFID tag and a temperature sensor. In a first cooking mode, a recipe is read by the range and the range assists a user in executing the recipe by automatically heating the vessel to specified temperatures and by prompting the user to add ingredients. The recipe is written to the RFID tag so that if the vessel is moved to another hob, into which the recipe has not been read, the new hob can read the recipe from the RFID tag and continue in its execution.

Claims

1. A method of heating a vessel using a range having an RFID reader, wherein the vessel includes an RFID tag and a temperature sensor, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) reading, with the RFID reader, the temperature of the vessel from the RFID tag; and

(b) controlling heating of the vessel based upon the temperature of the vessel.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of (c) repeating steps (a)-(b) periodically at least until the vessel is heated to a desired temperature.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, further including the step of (d) repeating steps (a)-(c) periodically in order to maintain the vessel at the desired temperature.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the vessel is maintained at the desired temperature for a pre-established length of time.

5. The method as set forth in claim 3, further including the step of (e) prompting a user to perform an action.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein the action involves adding one or more ingredients to the vessel.

7. The method as set forth in claim 5, further including the step of (f) repeating steps (a)-(b) periodically at least until the vessel is heated to a second desired temperature following the user performing the action.

8. A method of heating a vessel using a range having an RFID reader/writer, wherein the vessel includes an RFID tag and a temperature sensor, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving as input a desired temperature;

(b) reading, with the RFID reader, the actual temperature of the vessel from the RFID tag;

(c) determining a temperature differential between the desired temperature and the actual temperature; and

(d) controlling heating of the vessel based upon the temperature differential.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein if the temperature differential is greater than a pre-established value, then a maximum power is used in step (d) to heat the vessel.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the temperature differential is less than the pre-established value, then a percentage of the maximum power is used to heat the vessel in step (d) in order to avoid heating the vessel such that the actual temperature substantially exceeds the desired temperature.

11. The method as set forth in claim 8, further including the step of (e) repeating steps (a)-(d) periodically at least until the vessel is heated to the desired temperature.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, further including the step of (f) repeating steps (a)-(e) periodically in order to maintain the vessel at the desired temperature.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the vessel is maintained at the desired temperature for a pre-established length of time.

14. The method as set forth in claim 12, further including the step of (g) prompting a user to perform an action.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the action involves adding one or more ingredients to the vessel.

16. The method as set forth in claim 14, further including the step of (h) repeating steps (a)-(d) periodically at least until the vessel is heated to a second desired temperature following the user performing the action.

17. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein step (a) further includes writing the desired temperature to the RFID tag.

18. The method as set forth in claim 8, further including the step of (e) writing a heating history to the RFID tag so that if the vessel is moved to a second RFID reader/writer the second RFID reader/writer can read the heating history and continue heating the cooking vessel.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18, wherein the heating history includes a last known actual temperature and a time when the last known actual temperature occurred.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19, further including the step of (f) determining an elapsed time as a difference between a current time and the time when the last known actual temperature occurred.

21. The method as set forth in claim 20, wherein if the elapsed time is greater than a first pre-established value then the method is repeated beginning with step (b).

22. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein if the elapsed time is less than the first pre-established value but greater than a second pre-established value then the method is continued beginning with a step previous to a step last completed prior to moving the vessel to the second RFID reader/writer.

23. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein if the elapsed time is less than the second pre-established value then the method is continued beginning with the step last completed prior to moving the vessel to the second RFID reader/writer.

24. A method of heating a vessel using a range having an RFID reader/writer, wherein the vessel includes an RFID tag and a temperature sensor, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a set of heating instructions, wherein the heating instructions include a sequence of heating steps, with at least one of the heating steps including a desired temperature;

(b) reading, with the RFID reader, the actual temperature of the vessel from the RFID tag;

(c) determining a temperature differential between the desired temperature and the actual temperature;

(d) controlling heating of the vessel based upon the temperature differential;

(e) prompting a user to perform an action in accordance with the set of heating instructions; and

(f) repeating steps (b)-(e) until the sequence of heating steps is complete.

25. The method as set forth in claim 24, wherein the set of heating instructions is a recipe.

26. The method as set forth in claim 24, wherein the action of step (e) involves adding one or more ingredients to the vessel.

27. The method as set forth in claim 24, wherein step (a) further includes writing the set of heating instructions to the RFID tag so that if the vessel is moved to a second RFID reader/writer the second RFID reader/writer can read the set of heating instructions.

28. The method as set forth in claim 27, further including the step of writing a heating history to the RFID tag so that if the vessel is moved to a second RFID reader/writer the second RFID reader/writer can read the heating history.

29. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein the heating history includes a last known actual temperature, a time when the last known actual temperature occurred, and a last step completed in the sequence of heating steps prior to the vessel being moved to the second RFID reader/writer.

30. The method as set forth in claim 28, further including the step of determining an elapsed time as a difference between a current time and the time when the last known actual temperature occurred.

31. The method as set forth in claim 30, wherein if the elapsed time is greater than a first pre-established value then the last step completed in the sequence of heating steps is repeated.

32. The method as set forth in claim 31, wherein if the elapsed time is less than the first pre-established value then the a next step in the sequence of heating steps is begun, wherein the next step in the sequence of heating steps immediately follows the last step in the sequence of heating steps.

33. A system for heating a cooking vessel, wherein the cooking vessel includes an RFID tag adapted to store and communicate information and a temperature sensor adapted to sense a temperature of the cooking vessel and to communicate the temperature to the RFID tag, the system comprising:

a range adapted to heat the cooking vessel, the range including—

at least one hob having an RFID reader for reading information from the RFID tag, including the temperature of the cooking vessel; and

a microprocessor adapted to control heating of the cooking vessel based upon the temperature of the cooking vessel.

34. The system as set forth in claim 33, wherein the hob includes a first RFID antenna and a second RFID antenna, with the second RFID antenna being spaced apart from the first RFID antenna so as to maximize a range of the RFID reader.

35. The system as set forth in claim 33, further including a user interface including a display for communicating information to a user and an input mechanism for receiving input from the user.

36. A system for heating a cooking vessel, wherein the cooking vessel includes an RFID tag adapted to store and communicate information and a temperature sensor adapted to sense a temperature of the cooking vessel and to communicate the temperature to the RFID tag, the system comprising:

a range adapted to heat the cooking vessel, the range including—

at least one hob having an RFID reader/writer for reading information from the RFID tag, including the temperature of the cooking vessel, and for reading heating instructions from a second RFID tag; and

a microprocessor adapted to control heating of the cooking vessel based upon the temperature of the cooking vessel and upon the heating instructions.

37. The system as set forth in claim 36, wherein the hob includes a first RFID antenna and a second RFID antenna, with the second RFID antenna being spaced apart from the first RFID antenna so as to maximize a range of the RFID reader.

38. The system as set forth in claim 36, wherein the RFID reader/writer is further adapted to write the heating instructions to the RFID tag of the cooking vessel, and to periodically write to the RFID tag progress information concerning execution of the heating instructions.

39. The system as set forth in claim 36, further including a user interface including a display for communicating information to a user, including prompting the user to perform an action required by the heating instructions, and an input mechanism for receiving input from the user, including an indication from the user that the action has been completed.