Cooktop power control system
First Claim
1. A cooktop power control system for a cooktop that has a plurality of burners, where the cooktop power control system controls the power delivered from two or more separate active burners to separate cookware items each of which is associated with an active burner, wherein there is a maximum limit of total power that is available for delivery from all of the burners together, where there is a heating control user interface associated with each of the burners, each heating control user interface constructed and arranged to be set by a user to a particular heating control user interface setting, where a desired cookware temperature is derived from the setting of each heating control user interface, and where measured temperatures of the cookware items are available to the cooktop power control system, the cooktop power control system comprising:
- a controller that, when a plurality of burners are in sum calling for more than the maximum limit of total available power, automatically alters the power delivered from at least one of the active burners in comparison to the power called for by such burner, the alteration based on both the measured cookware temperatures of the cookware items that are associated with the active burners and the desired cookware temperatures derived from the heating control user interfaces that are associated with the active burners,wherein the controller automatically alters the power further based at least in part on a rate of change of the measured cookware temperature of one or more of the cookware items.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A cooktop power control system for a cooktop that has a plurality of burners, where the cooktop power control system controls the power delivered from two or more separate active burners to separate cookware items each of which is associated with an active burner. There is a maximum limit of total power that is available for delivery from all of the burners together. There is a heating control user interface associated with each of the burners, each heating control user interface constructed and arranged to be set by a user to a particular heating control user interface setting. A desired cookware temperature is derived from the setting of each heating control user interface. The measured temperatures of the cookware items are available to the cooktop power control system. The system has a controller that, when a plurality of burners are in sum calling for more than the maximum limit of total available power, automatically alters the power delivered from at least one of the active burners in comparison to the power called for by such burner, the alteration based on both the measured cookware temperatures of the cookware items that are associated with the active burners and the desired cookware temperatures derived from the heating control user interfaces that are associated with the active burners.
178 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A cooktop power control system for a cooktop that has a plurality of burners, where the cooktop power control system controls the power delivered from two or more separate active burners to separate cookware items each of which is associated with an active burner, wherein there is a maximum limit of total power that is available for delivery from all of the burners together, where there is a heating control user interface associated with each of the burners, each heating control user interface constructed and arranged to be set by a user to a particular heating control user interface setting, where a desired cookware temperature is derived from the setting of each heating control user interface, and where measured temperatures of the cookware items are available to the cooktop power control system, the cooktop power control system comprising:
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a controller that, when a plurality of burners are in sum calling for more than the maximum limit of total available power, automatically alters the power delivered from at least one of the active burners in comparison to the power called for by such burner, the alteration based on both the measured cookware temperatures of the cookware items that are associated with the active burners and the desired cookware temperatures derived from the heating control user interfaces that are associated with the active burners, wherein the controller automatically alters the power further based at least in part on a rate of change of the measured cookware temperature of one or more of the cookware items. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A cooktop power control system for a cooktop that has a plurality of burners, where the cooktop power control system controls the power delivered from two or more separate active burners to separate cookware items each of which is associated with an active burner, wherein there is a maximum limit of total power that is available for delivery from all of the burners together, where there is a heating control user interface associated with each of the burners, each heating control user interface constructed and arranged to be set by a user to a particular heating control user interface setting, where a desired cookware temperature is derived from the setting of each heating control user interface, and where measured temperatures of the cookware items are available to the cooktop power control system, the cooktop power control system comprising:
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a controller that, when a plurality of burners are in sum calling for more than the maximum limit of total available power, automatically alters the power delivered from at least one of the active burners in comparison to the power called for by such burner, the alteration based on both the measured cookware temperatures of the cookware items that are associated with the active burners and the desired cookware temperatures derived from the heating control user interfaces that are associated with the active burners, where the desired cookware temperature spans a temperature range, and wherein the controller automatically alters the power further based on where the desired cookware temperature is in the temperature range, wherein the temperature range is divided into a plurality of portions, including, from coolest to hottest, a cool portion, a boiling portion, an intermediate portion and a hot portion, and wherein the controller automatically alters the power further based on which portion of the temperature range the desired cookware temperature is in, and a rate of change of the measured cookware temperature.
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15. A cooktop power control system for a cooktop that has a plurality of burners, where the cooktop power control system controls the power delivered from two or more separate active burners to separate cookware items each of which is associated with an active burner, wherein there is a maximum limit of total power that is available for delivery from all of the burners together, where there is a heating control user interface associated with each of the burners, each heating control user interface constructed and arranged to be set by a user to a particular heating control user interface setting, where a desired cookware temperature is derived from the setting of each heating control user interface, and where measured temperatures of the cookware items are available to the cooktop power control system, the cooktop power control system comprising:
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a controller that, when a plurality of burners are in sum calling for more than the maximum limit of total available power, automatically alters the power delivered from at least one of the active burners in comparison to the power called for by such burner, the alteration based on both the measured cookware temperatures of the cookware items that are associated with the active burners and the desired cookware temperatures derived from the heating control user interfaces that are associated with the active burners wherein the controller prioritizes the active burners into higher and lower priority active burners, and causes a greater percentage of the amount of power called for by a higher priority active burner to be delivered than the percentage of the amount of power called for by a lower priority active burner; wherein the controller prioritizes an active burner as a higher priority burner if the measured temperature of the cookware associated with such burner is decreasing in comparison to the desired cookware temperature.
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16. A cooktop power control system for a cooktop that has a plurality of burners, where the cooktop power control system controls the power delivered from two or more separate active burners to separate cookware items each of which is associated with an active burner, wherein there is a maximum limit of total power that is available for delivery from all of the burners together, where there is a heating control user interface associated with each of the burners, each heating control user interface constructed and arranged to be set by user to a particular heating control user interface setting, where a desired cookware temperature is derived from the setting of each heating control user interface, and where measured temperatures of the cookware items are available to the cooktop power control system, the cooktop power control system comprising:
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a controller that, when a plurality of burners are in sum calling for more than the maximum limit of total available power, automatically alters the power delivered from at least one of the active burners in comparison to the power called for by such burner, the alteration based on both the measured cookware temperatures of the cookware items that are associated with the active burners and the desired cookware temperatures derived from the heating control user interfaces that are associated with the active burners wherein the controller prioritizes the active burners into higher and lower priority active burners, and causes a greater percentage of the amount of power called for by a higher priority active burner to be delivered than the percentage of the amount of power called for by a lower priority active burner, wherein the controller prioritizes an active burner as a lower priority burner when the difference between the desired cookware temperature and the measured cookware temperature of the cookware associated with such burner is greater than a predetermined percentage of a temperature set point determined by the heating control user interface, and the measured cookware temperature is changing slowly such that the rate of change of the measured cookware temperature is less than it would be for a dry pan being heated at full power.
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17. A cooktop power control system for a cooktop that has a plurality of burners, where the cooktop power control system controls the power delivered from two or more separate active burners to separate cookware items each of which is associated with an active burner, wherein there is a maximum limit of total power that is available for delivery from all of the burners together, where there is a heating control user interface associated with each of the burners, each heating control user interface constructed and arranged to be set by a user to a particular heating control user interface setting, where a desired cookware temperature is derived from the setting of each heating control user interface, and where measured temperatures of the cookware items are available to the cooktop power control system, the cooktop power control system comprising:
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a controller that, when a plurality of burners are in sum calling for more than the maximum limit of total available power, automatically alters the power delivered from at least one of the active burners in comparison to the power called for by such burner, the alteration based on both the measured cookware temperatures of the cookware items that are associated with the active burners and the desired cookware temperatures derived from the heating control user interfaces that are associated with the active burners, wherein the controller prioritizes the active burners into higher and lower priority active burners, and causes a greater percentage of the amount of power called for by a higher priority active burner to be delivered than the percentage of the amount of power called for by a lower priority active burner, wherein the controller prioritizes an active burner as a lower priority burner when the measured cookware temperature of the cookware associated with such burner is increasing at a rate approximately equal to the rate that is expected for a dry pan being heated at full power.
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18. A cooktop power control system for a cooktop that has a plurality of burners, where the cooktop power control system controls the power delivered from two or more separate active burners to separate cookware items each of which is associated with an active burner, wherein there is a maximum limit of total power that is available for delivery from all of the burners together, where there is a heating control user interface associated with each of the burners, each heating control user interface constructed and arranged to be set by a user to a particular heating control user interface setting, where a desired cookware temperature is derived from the setting of each heating control user interface, and where measured temperatures of the cookware items are available to the cooktop power control system, the cooktop power control system comprising:
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a controller that, when a plurality of burners are in sum calling for more than the maximum limit of total available power, automatically reduces the power delivered from at least one of the active burners in comparison to the power called for by such burner, the reduction based on both the measured cookware temperatures of the cookware items that are associated with the active burners and the desired cookware temperatures derived from the heating control user interfaces that are associated with the active burners; wherein the controller automatically alters the power further based at least in part on a rate of change of the measured cookware temperature of one or more of the cookware items, and wherein when an active burner is in the boiling range the controller reduces the power to such burner gradually.
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19. A cooktop power control system for a cooktop that has a plurality of burners, where the cooktop power control system controls the power delivered from two or more separate active burners to separate cookware items each of which is associated with an active burner, wherein there is a maximum limit of total power that is available for delivery from all of the burners together, where there is a heating control user interface associated with each of the burners, each heating control user interface constructed and arranged to be set by a user to a particular heating control user interface setting, where a desired cookware temperature is derived from the setting of each heating control user interface, and where measured temperatures of the cookware items are available to the cooktop power control system, the cooktop power control system comprising:
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a controller that, when a plurality of burners are in sum calling for more than the maximum limit of total available power, automatically reduces the power delivered from at least one of the active burners in comparison to the power called for by such burner, the reduction based on;
(i) the measured cookware temperatures of the cookware items that are associated with the active burners, (ii) the desired cookware temperatures derived from the heating control user interfaces that are associated with the active burners, and (iii) a rate of change of the measured cookware temperature of one or more of the cookware items; andwherein the reduction is such that the controller maintains at least a minimum amount of power delivered from each of the active burners that are requesting more than this minimum amount of power.
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Specification