METHOD OF CONTROLLING NETWORKED KITCHEN APPLIANCES

• US 20090167506A1
• Filed: 01/02/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Defond Components Limited
• Original Assignee: Defond Components Limited
• Inventors: Wong, Alfred Sing Ping
• Application Number:
  US11/968,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20090167506A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/286.20
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/688 for thawing

Abstract

A method of controlling the operation of a wireless network of intelligent kitchen appliances for performing a recipe allows a user to provide authentication of commands received over the network by manual actuation of a touch-sensitive switch mounted to the appliance, and which initiates operation according to the command. A hand-held remote controller has a display for showing instructions to the user. The controller transmits associated appliance commands to the appliance, where they are stored, and the appliance then performs each appliance command conditionally, upon a change of state of the switch.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an operation of a kitchen appliance having a control circuit responsive to a change of state of a touch-sensitive switch mounted to the appliance for manual actuation by a user, the method comprising:

providing a hand-held controller remote from the appliance, the controller having a controller display;

wirelessly connecting the appliance to the controller;

loading an instruction sequence into the controller, the instruction sequence including user and appliance sets of commands directed to the user and the appliance, respectively;

initiating execution of the instruction sequence by the controller to show at least a first user command on the controller display;

transmitting a first appliance command to the appliance;

storing the first appliance command in the control circuit; and

operating the appliance control circuit to perform the first appliance command conditionally, upon a change of state of the switch.

2. The method of claim 1 including operating the appliance control circuit to perform each appliance command conditionally, upon a respective change of state of the switch.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, between pausing and resuming execution of commands in the appliance set, the execution of the instruction sequence comprises showing at least a second user command on the controller display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user commands comprise video shown on the controller display.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

connecting the controller to the internet;

accessing a remote database holding instruction sequences; and

downloading the instruction sequence via the internet.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the instruction sequence comprises a recipe including at least one cooking step.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the appliance is selected from the group consisting of an oven and an electric mixer.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the appliance is an oven and the recipe comprises automatically turning on the oven.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the appliance is an oven and the recipe comprise automatically preheating the oven.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the appliance is an oven and the recipe comprise:

creating an uncooked mixture of ingredients;

inserting the mixture in the oven;

controlling the oven; and

removing the mixture from the oven.

11. A method of controlling an operation of a kitchen appliance having a control circuit responsive to a change of state of a touch-sensitive switch mounted to the appliance for manual actuation by a user, the method comprising:

providing a hand-held controller remote from the appliance, the controller having a controller display;

wirelessly connecting the appliance to the controller;

loading an instruction sequence into the controller, the instruction sequence including user and appliance sets of commands directed to the user and the appliance respectively;

initiating execution of the instruction sequence by the controller to show at least a first user command on the controller display;

transmitting a first appliance command to the appliance and pausing execution of commands in the appliance set;

operating the appliance control circuit to perform the first appliance command conditionally, upon a change of state of the switch;

actuating the appliance to transmit a completion signal to the remote controller following performance of the first appliance command by the appliance; and

resuming execution of commands in the appliance set by the controller conditionally, upon receipt of the completion signal by the controller.