Apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving data in microwave oven

• US 7,514,658 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2007
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Ji Woong
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson; Daniel L
• Application Number:
  US11/725,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20070187396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 219/702, 219/678, 219/703, 219/704, 219/713, 219/714, 219/715, 219/720, 219/719, 219/721
• US Class Current: 219/702
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/688 for thawing
• 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

The invention relates to an apparatus and method for data transmitting/receiving between a microwave oven and an information appliance PDA. The apparatus includes a wireless data transmitting/receiving unit for conducting wireless data communication with an external system including an information appliance; a data storage unit for storing transmitted/received data through the wireless data transmitting/receiving unit and/or downloaded data from Internet; a display unit for displaying transmitted data from the wireless data transmitting/receiving unit; a load drive unit for driving a magnetron and/or a heater; and Micom interfaced with the above elements, and interpreting the transmitted data from the wireless data transmitting/receiving unit and/or checking a state of the microwave oven, and controlling the wireless data transmitting/receiving unit to transmit the data on the state of the microwave oven to an information appliance. According to the invention, although the microwave oven does not include built-in networked communication equipment like a modem, it can interface with Internet through an information appliance, a PDA for example, which download data and transmits to the microwave oven. Thus, increase in price of the microwave oven with the modem is minimized and user interface is provided. Also, repair cost of the microwave oven can be minimized by checking the microwave based on the data on the internal state of the microwave being transmitted to the PDA.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting and receiving data in a microwave oven, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from the internet, at a data transmitting/receiving information appliance, a program to be communicated with the microwave;

receiving data in the information appliance from a server storing the data; and

wirelessly transmitting the received data to the microwave oven,

wherein the data is microwave oven specification data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a data packet transmitted and received between the microwave oven and the information appliance comprises at least one of STX, ETX, transmitting/receiving side, packet length, packet content, flag, CRC, message command code, and ACK/NAK.

3. A method for transmitting and receiving data in a microwave oven, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from the internet, at a data transmitting/receiving information appliance, a program to be communicated with the microwave;

receiving data in the information appliance from a server storing the data;

wirelessly transmitting the received data to the microwave oven;

storing the received data in the microwave oven or displaying the received data on the microwave oven; and

cooking, in the microwave oven, food based on the received data,

wherein the data is microwave oven specification data.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of:

controlling the microwave oven by using the transmitted data to the microwave oven.

5. A method for transmitting and receiving data between a wireless data transmitting/receiving microwave oven and an information appliance, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying, on the wireless transmitting/receiving microwave oven or the information appliance, data on a state of the microwave oven at a user'"'"'s request or according to the state of the microwave oven; and

determining the state of the wireless transmitting/receiving microwave oven on the basis of the displayed data,

wherein the data is microwave oven specification data.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of:

controlling and/or repairing the microwave oven based on the determined state of the wireless transmitting/receiving microwave oven.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of:

periodically transmitting the data on the state of the microwave oven via a wireless interface.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of:

aperiodically transmitting the data on the state of the microwave oven via a wireless interface.