Boil detection method and computer program

• US 20050247696A1
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TSI SUB LLC
• Original Assignee: Thermal Solutions Incorporated (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Clothier, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,573,005 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/497
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2213/06 Cook-top or cookware capable of communicating with each other
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2213/07 Heating plates with temperature control means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/746 Protection, e.g. overheat cutoff, hot plate indicator
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/062 for cooking plates or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/1209 induction cooking plates or the like and devices to be used in combination with them

Abstract

A method, computer program, and cooking device for detecting boiling of liquids. The invention is implemented with a computer program executed by a processor or other computing device of a cooking unit such as an induction range. The computer program comprises a code segment for receiving an indication of successive temperatures of the vessel and for calculating a slope of a curve representing the successive temperatures versus time; a code segment for detecting boiling of the liquid based on the slope of the curve; and a code segment for providing an output which may be used to indicate the boiling. The computer program may also include a code segment for receiving variables relating to parameters and/or characteristics of the cooking vessel to refine the boiling detection.

Claims

1. A computer program stored on computer-readable medium for detecting boiling of a liquid in a vessel heated by a cooking device, the computer program comprising:

a code segment for receiving an indication of successive temperatures of the vessel and for calculating a slope of a curve representing the successive temperatures versus time;

a code segment for detecting boiling of the liquid based on the slope of the curve; and

a code segment for providing an output which may be used to indicate the boiling of the liquid.

2. The computer program as set forth in claim 1, further including a code segment for receiving variables relating to the vessel.

3. The computer program as set forth in claim 2, wherein the code segment for detecting the boiling also considers the variables relating to the vessel.

4. The computer program as set forth in claim 1, further including a code segment for receiving an indication correlated to the amount of energy delivered to the vessel by the cooking unit.

5. The computer program as set forth in claim 4, wherein the cooking unit is an induction heater and the indication of the amount of energy is a power level of the induction heater.

6. The computer program as set forth in claim 4, wherein the code segment for detecting the boiling also considers the indication of the amount of energy delivered to the vessel by the cooking unit.

7. The computer program as set forth in claim 5, wherein the induction heater is a part of an induction range.

8. The computer program as set forth in claim 7, wherein the computer-readable medium includes memory accessible by a processor contained within the induction range.

9. The computer program as set forth in claim 1, wherein the vessel is selected from the group consisting of a pan, a pot, a baking dish, and a bowl.

10. A computer program stored on memory accessible by a processor contained within an induction range, the computer program being operable for detecting boiling of a liquid in a vessel heated by the induction range, the computer program comprising:

a code segment for receiving variables relating to the vessel;

a code segment for receiving an indication of successive temperatures of the vessel over time;

a code segment for calculating a slope of a curve representing the successive temperatures versus time;

a code segment for detecting the imminent boiling of the liquid based on the variables relating to the vessel and the slope of the curve;

a code segment for calculating a threshold requirement related to the imminent boiling; and

a code segment for providing an output after the threshold has been satisfied to indicate the boiling of the liquid.

11. The computer program as set forth in claim 10, further including a code segment for receiving an indication of an amount of energy delivered to the vessel by the cooking unit.

12. The computer program as set forth in claim 11, wherein the cooking unit is an induction heater and the indication of the amount of energy is a power level of the induction heater.

13. The computer program as set forth in claim 11, wherein the code segment for detecting the boiling also considers the indication of the amount of energy delivered to the vessel by the cooking unit.

14. The computer program as set forth in claim 12, wherein the induction heater is a part of an induction range.

15. The computer program as set forth in claim 14, wherein the computer-readable memory includes memory accessible by a processor contained within the induction range.

16. The computer program as set forth in claim 10, wherein the vessel is selected from the group consisting of a pan, a pot, a baking dish, and a bowl.

17. A cooking device for heating liquid within a vessel, the cooking device comprising:

a heating element for heating the vessel;

a data input for receiving data representative of successive temperatures of the vessel over time; and

a computing device operable to detect boiling of the liquid based on the data representative of the successive temperatures over time and to provide an output which may be used to announce the boiling of the liquid to a user.

18. The cooking device as set forth in claim 17, wherein the heating element is an induction work coil of an induction range.

19. The cooking device as set forth in claim 17, wherein the data input comprises an RFID reader/writer which reads the data representative of the successive temperatures from an RFID tag coupled with the vessel.

20. The cooking device as set forth in claim 19, wherein the RFID reader/writer also reads variables relating to the vessel from the RFID tag, and wherein the computing device is operable to detect the boiling of the liquid based on the variables.

21. A method of detecting boiling of a liquid in a vessel heated by a cooking unit, the method comprising the steps:

placing the vessel on a heating element of the cooking unit;

measuring successive temperatures of the vessel over time;

detecting boiling of the liquid in the vessel based on the successive temperatures over time; and

providing an indication that the liquid is boiling.

22. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein the cooking unit is an induction range and the heating element is an induction work coil.

23. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein the measuring step is performed with a resistant temperature device embedded in the cooking vessel.

24. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein the boiling indication is presented on an indicator selected from the group consisting of a visual indicator, an audible indicator, and a vibratory indicator.