초록 ▼

A system for automatically controlling the temperature of the cooking surface of a cooking surface of a solid-surface cooktop and, consequently, the temperature of the cooking utensil on the cooking surface, by detecting cooking utensil-related properties through the solid-surface cooktop. The cooki

A system for automatically controlling the temperature of the cooking surface of a cooking surface of a solid-surface cooktop and, consequently, the temperature of the cooking utensil on the cooking surface, by detecting cooking utensil-related properties through the solid-surface cooktop. The cooking utensil-related properties include presence/absence, removal/placement, and other physical properties such as utensil type, size, warpage, and temperature and load size. Automatic control is based on monitoring the heat transfer characteristics from the energy source to the cooktop and the utensil to infer the utensil properties. This is achieved by sensing or inferring a parameter indicative of the temperature of a monitored area that includes at least a portion of the cooktop or of the cooking utensil placed on the upper surface of a cooktop, as well as a parameter indicative of power applied to a controllable heat source, and detecting signal properties using an evolutionary algorithm.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system for detecting properties of a cooking utensil on the cooking surface of a solid-surface cooktop having at least one controllable energy source for providing energy for heating the utensil and any contents thereof, said detected properties being parameters for controlling said at least on

1. A system for detecting properties of a cooking utensil on the cooking surface of a solid-surface cooktop having at least one controllable energy source for providing energy for heating the utensil and any contents thereof, said detected properties being parameters for controlling said at least one controllable energy source, the system comprising:a radiation source for emitting radiation toward the cooktop and the utensil; a detector for detecting a parameter indicative of the temperature of a portion of said cooktop and passing through the cooktop and for generating detector signals indicative of at least one property of the cooking utensil, the at least one property being selected from a group of properties consisting of utensil absence, utensil presence, utensil placement, utensil removal, utensil size, utensil warpage, utensil type, utensil temperature, and utensil load; at least one power signal indicative of the level of power supplied to at least one controllable energy source having a power configuration; and processor means for receiving the detector signals and the at least one power signal and for providing signals indicative of the at least one property of the cooking utensil.