INDUCTION HEATING COOKER AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20120248096A1
• Filed: 03/23/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Sung Ho, SHON, Jong Chull, JUNG, Min Gyu, KIM, Ha Na
• Granted Patent: US 9,307,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/622
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2213/03 Heating plates made out of a matrix of heating elements that can define heating areas adapted to cookware randomly placed on the heating plate
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2213/05 Heating plates with pan detection means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/062 for cooking plates or the like

Abstract

An induction heating cooker and a control method thereof that prevents the occurrence of an error caused during recognition of a container in the induction heating cooker that performs cooking regardless of where the container is placed on a cooking plate includes a plurality of heating coils disposed below a cooking plate, current detectors to detect values of current flowing in the respective heating coils, and a controller to determine whether a container is placed on the respective heating coils based on the detected current values of the heating coils and change amounts of the current values.

Claims

1. An induction heating cooker comprising:

a plurality of heating coils disposed below a cooking plate;

current detectors to detect values of current flowing in the respective heating coils; and

a controller to determine whether a container is placed on the respective heating coils based on the detected current values of the heating coils and change amounts of the current values.

2. The induction heating cooker according to claim 1, further comprising:

inverters having switching elements, wherein

the current detectors detect values of current flowing in the respective heating coils during on time of the switching elements of the inverters.

3. The induction heating cooker according to claim 2, wherein the controller determines that the container is placed on the respective heating coils if the current values detected from the respective heating coils during the on time of the switching elements are equal to or greater than a predetermined value and a pattern is formed in which the change amount of the current values during the on time of the switching elements increases over time.

4. The induction heating cooker according to claim 2, wherein the controller divides the on time of the switching elements into one or more sections, controls the current detectors to detect current values in the respective sections at a predetermined time interval, calculates an average value of the current values detected by the current detectors in the respective sections, and determines that the container P is placed on the respective heating coils if a pattern is formed in which the calculated average value of the current values in the respective sections increases over time.

5. The induction heating cooker according to claim 4, wherein the controller calculates an average value of the current values detected by the current detectors in the respective sections excluding a maximum value and minimum value thereof.

6. The induction heating cooker according to claim 3, wherein the current values of the respective heating coils detected during on time of the switching elements are current values of the respective heating coils detected in a predetermined section of the on time of the switching elements.

7. The induction heating cooker according to claim 6, wherein the current value of each of the heating coils equal to or greater than the predetermined value is one of the current values of the respective heating coils.

8. The induction heating cooker according to claim 6, wherein the current value of each of the heating coils equal to or greater than the predetermined value is a maximum value of the current values of the respective heating coils.

9. The induction heating cooker according to claim 6, wherein the current value of each of the heating coils equal to or greater than the predetermined value is an average value of the current values of the respective heating coils detected during the on time of the switching elements.

15. The induction heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of heating coils are arranged in 4 rows and 4 columns, and each row of heating coils is controlled by an auxiliary controller.

10. A control method of an induction heating cooker, comprising:

detecting values of current flowing in a plurality of heating coils for a predetermined time; and

determining whether a container is placed on the respective heating coils based on the detected current values of the heating coils and change amounts of the current values.

11. The control method according to claim 10, wherein the determining whether the container is placed on the respective heating coils comprises determining that the container is placed on the respective heating coils if the current values detected from the respective heating coils for the predetermined time are equal to or greater than a predetermined value and a pattern is formed in which the change amount of the current values for the predetermined time increases over time.

12. The control method according to claim 10, wherein the determining whether the container is placed on the respective heating coils comprises:

dividing the predetermined time into one or more sections;

detecting current values in the respective sections at a predetermined time interval;

calculating an average value of the current values detected in the respective sections; and

determining that the container P is placed on the respective heating coils if a pattern is formed in which the calculated average value of the current values in the respective sections increases over time.

13. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the calculating the average value of the current values comprises calculating an average value of the current values detected in the respective sections at the predetermined time interval excluding a maximum value and minimum value thereof.

14. The control method according to claim 11, wherein the current value of each of the heating coils equal to or greater than the predetermined value is one of the current values of the respective heating coils, a maximum value of the current values of the respective heating coils, or an average value of the current values of the respective heating coils detected for the predetermined time.

16. A method of controlling a plurality of heating coils in an induction heating cooker, the method comprising:

detecting current values in a plurality of heating coils over a predetermined time interval;

determining, by a processor, whether or not a container is placed on each of the plurality of heating coils based on the value and change in value of the detected current of the heating coils during the predetermined time interval; and

supplying power to each of the plurality of heating coils determined to have a container placed on the heating coil.

17. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions that control at least one processor to implement the method of claim 16.