Method for temperature measurement in a household appliance
First Claim
1. A method for temperature measurement in a household appliance, comprising the steps:
- a) generating, using an electrical processing unit of the household appliance, a high-frequency electromagnetic excitation wave of a predefined transmit frequency, the transmit frequency being in a frequency band including temperature-dependent resonant frequencies that occur in a surface wave device incorporated in a temperature measuring probe and which frequencies respectively correspond to temperatures expected at the temperature measuring probe during operation of the household appliance;
b) during a first phase, wirelessly transmitting the excitation wave to the surface wave device;
c) during a second phase following the first phase, wirelessly transmitting to the processing unit an electromagnetic response wave generated by the excitation wave in the surface wave device;
d) during the second phase, measuring, in an evaluation circuit of the processing unit, a signal level of a response signal generated from the response wave, and storing the signal level and the associated transmit frequency in a memory of the processing unit;
e) repeating steps a)-d) for at least one additional different transmit frequency selected from the frequency band;
f) comparing at least the signal level of a current measurement to the signal level of a previous measurement so as to determine the higher signal level; and
g) determining a current temperature of the surface wave device by selecting the transmit frequency associated with the higher signal level.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for temperature measurement in a household appliance includes generating a high-frequency electromagnetic excitation wave of a predefined transmit frequency. The transmit frequency is selected from a frequency band including temperature-dependent resonant frequencies that occur in a surface wave device incorporated in a temperature measuring probe and which respectively correspond to temperatures expected at the temperature measuring probe during operation of the household appliance. During a first phase, the excitation wave is wirelessly transmitting to the surface wave device. During a second phase following the first phase, an electromagnetic response wave generated by the excitation wave in the surface wave device is wirelessly transmitting to a processing unit. Signal levels of response signals generated from response waves of different transmit frequencies are measured and compared to determine the current temperature of the surface wave device based on the transmit frequency associated with the highest signal level.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method for temperature measurement in a household appliance, comprising the steps:
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a) generating, using an electrical processing unit of the household appliance, a high-frequency electromagnetic excitation wave of a predefined transmit frequency, the transmit frequency being in a frequency band including temperature-dependent resonant frequencies that occur in a surface wave device incorporated in a temperature measuring probe and which frequencies respectively correspond to temperatures expected at the temperature measuring probe during operation of the household appliance;
b) during a first phase, wirelessly transmitting the excitation wave to the surface wave device;
c) during a second phase following the first phase, wirelessly transmitting to the processing unit an electromagnetic response wave generated by the excitation wave in the surface wave device;
d) during the second phase, measuring, in an evaluation circuit of the processing unit, a signal level of a response signal generated from the response wave, and storing the signal level and the associated transmit frequency in a memory of the processing unit;
e) repeating steps a)-d) for at least one additional different transmit frequency selected from the frequency band;
f) comparing at least the signal level of a current measurement to the signal level of a previous measurement so as to determine the higher signal level; and
g) determining a current temperature of the surface wave device by selecting the transmit frequency associated with the higher signal level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15)
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14. A method for temperature measurement in a household appliance, comprising the steps:
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a) generating, using an electrical processing unit of the household appliance, a high-frequency electromagnetic excitation wave of a predefined transmit frequency, the transmit frequency being in a frequency band including temperature-dependent resonant frequencies that occur in a surface wave device incorporated in a temperature measuring probe and which frequencies respectively correspond to temperatures expected at the temperature measuring probe during operation of the household appliance;
b) during a first phase, wirelessly transmitting the excitation wave to the surface wave device;
c) during a second phase following the first phase, wirelessly transmitting to the processing unit an electromagnetic response wave generated by the excitation wave in the surface wave device;
d) during the second phase, measuring, in an evaluation circuit of the processing unit, a signal level of a response signal generated from the response wave;
e) repeating steps a)-d) for at least one additional different transmit frequency selected from the frequency band;
f) comparing at least the signal level of a current measurement to the signal level of a previous measurement so as to determine the higher signal level;
g) determining a current temperature of the surface wave device by selecting the transmit frequency associated with the higher signal level; and
h) storing the higher signal level and the associated transmit frequency in a memory of the processing unit.
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Specification