SMART COOKWARE

• US 20120000903A1
• Filed: 01/05/2010
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC (Alticor Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC (Alticor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Taylor, Joshua B., Mollema, Scott A., Stoner, William T. Jr., Baarman, David W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,955,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/620
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/002 Construction of cooking-vessels; Methods or processes of manufacturing specially adapted for cooking-vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/004 with integral electrical heating means drinking cups with integral heating means A47J36/2466
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/022 with enlarged bottom
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/321 the electronic control being performed over a network, e.g. by means of a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0266 Cooktops
• 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 6/062 for cooking plates or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/1236 adapted to induce current in a coil to supply power to a device and electrical heating devices powered in this way
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

An inductively powered cooking appliance and an associated wireless power supply for producing an electromagnetic field. The cooking appliance may include a secondary and a metal portion where the wireless power supply is capable of providing power to both. The cooking appliance may communicate with the wireless power supply to control the temperature of the metal portion and the amount of power transferred to the secondary. A smart handle connected to the secondary may be capable of performing various functions. The smart handle may also be capable of displaying and monitoring temperature.

Claims

1. A cooking appliance comprising:

a first inductive power receiving portion, wherein said first inductive power receiving portion heats said cooking appliance; and

a second inductive power receiving portion, wherein said second inductive power receiving portion provides power to said cooking appliance.

2. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein said first inductive power receiving portion includes a metal portion.

3. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein said first inductive power receiving portion includes a secondary coil.

4. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein said second inductive power receiving portion includes a secondary coil.

5. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein an amount of power received by said first inductive power receiving portion is adjusted in response to said cooking appliance communicating with an inductive power supply.

6. The cooking appliance of claim 1 further comprising a temperature sensor powered by said second inductive power receiving portion.

7. The cooking appliance of claim 6 further comprising a controller programmed to at least one of control temperature by communicating temperature to an inductive power supply via communication circuitry, monitor temperature using said temperature sensor, or display temperature information via a user interface.

8. The cooking appliance of claim 1 further comprising an energy storage element capable of being charged by said second inductive power receiving portion.

9. The cooking appliance of claim 8, wherein said energy storage element is a battery.

10. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein said first inductive power receiving portion and said second inductive power receiving portion are mutually exclusively positioned to receive power from an inductive power supply.

11. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein said first inductive power receiving portion and said second inductive power receiving portion are positioned to simultaneously receive power from an inductive power supply.

12. A cooking system comprising:

an inductive power supply and a cooking appliance, said cooking appliance capable of being heated by said inductive power supply and capable of being powered by said inductive power supply;

wherein said inductive power supply includes;

a tank circuit having a primary for transferring power to said cooking appliance;

primary communication circuitry for receiving information from said cooking appliance;

a controller programmed to control operation of said inductive power supply in response to said information received from said cooking appliance;

wherein said cooking appliance includes;

a first inductive power receiving portion, wherein said first inductive power receiving portion heats said cooking appliance;

a second inductive power receiving portion, wherein said second inductive power receiving portion provides power to said cooking appliance;

a temperature sensor for monitoring a current temperature of said cooking appliance;

a user interface configurable to select a desired temperature setting of said cooking appliance; and

secondary communication circuitry for transmitting to said inductive power supply at least one of information regarding said desired temperature, information regarding said current temperature, and an instruction to change a power output characteristic.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said first inductive power receiving portion includes a metal portion, where said inductive power supply is capable of inducing current within said metal portion to produce heat.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said first inductive power receiving portion includes a secondary coil capable of transferring power to a heating element in said cooking appliance.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein said primary communication circuitry includes a receiver capable of RF communication with said secondary communication circuitry, where said secondary communication circuitry includes a transmitter.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein said first inductive power receiving portion and said second inductive power receiving portion are mutually exclusively positioned to receive power from said inductive power supply.

17. A method for inductive cooking comprising the steps of:

identifying a presence of a cooking appliance, wherein said cooking appliance includes a first inductive power portion that heats said cooking appliance and a second inductive power receiving portion that provides power to said cooking appliance;

applying an alternating current to said inductive power supply to generate an electromagnetic field that transfers power to said cooking appliance;

selecting a desired temperature setting for said cooking appliance;

measuring a current temperature of said cooking appliance;

communicating to said inductive power supply at least one of information regarding said desired temperature setting, information regarding said current temperature, and an instruction to change a power output characteristic;

adjusting said inductive power supply based on at least one of information regarding said desired temperature setting, information regarding said current temperature measurement, and said instruction to change said power output characteristic in order to adjust the temperature of said first inductive power portion to said desired temperature setting.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said first inductive power receiving portion includes a metal portion, wherein eddy currents induced in said metal portion produce heat during power transfer to said first inductive power receiving portion.

19. The method of claim 17, further including the step of charging an energy storage element in said second inductive power receiving portion.

20. The method of claim 17, further including the step of changing a heating rate depending on how close said cooking appliance is to said desired temperature setting.