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A method for controlling a motion of a gas valve in a gas feed line coupling a supply device to a burner is provided. The method includes receiving a signal representative of a user-selected desired level of heat output of the burner, translating the received signal to a first current signal, measur

A method for controlling a motion of a gas valve in a gas feed line coupling a supply device to a burner is provided. The method includes receiving a signal representative of a user-selected desired level of heat output of the burner, translating the received signal to a first current signal, measuring a second current signal in a conducting medium that is operatively coupled with the valve, deriving a third current signal from the first and second current signals, and providing the third current signal to the conducting medium to control the motion of the valve.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method for controlling a motion of a gas valve in a gas feed line coupling a supply device to a burner, the method comprising: providing a controller; operatively coupling a selector to the controller; operatively coupling a conducting medium between the controller and the

What is claimed is: 1. A method for controlling a motion of a gas valve in a gas feed line coupling a supply device to a burner, the method comprising: providing a controller; operatively coupling a selector to the controller; operatively coupling a conducting medium between the controller and the gas valve, wherein the conducting medium has an operating current; receiving a signal at the controller from the selector representative of a user-selected desired level of heat output of the burner; translating the received signal to a first current signal; measuring a second current signal in the conducting medium, wherein the second current signal is based on the operating current of the conducting medium; receiving the second current signal at the controller; determining a third current signal using a plurality of selectable formulas, wherein a selection of a formula from the plurality of selectable formulas is based on a comparison of the second current signal and at least one of the first current signal and a tolerance band defined around the first current signal, said determining a third current signal comprising: multiplying a slope factor by a difference between the second current signal and the first current signal; using a first selectable formula of the plurality of selectable formulas to determine the third current signal by subtracting a result of the multiplication from the first current signal if the second current signal is greater than the sum of the first current signal and the tolerance band; using a second selectable formula of the plurality of selectable formulas to determine the third current signal by adding a result of the multiplication to the first current signal if the second current signal is less than the difference between the first current signal and the tolerance band; and using a third selectable formula of the plurality of selectable formulas to determine the third current signal by setting the third current signal equal to the first current signal if the second current signal is within the tolerance band; and providing the third current signal to the conducting medium to change the operating current of the conducting medium to control the motion of the gas valve to change a heat output of the burner. 2. A method in accordance with claim 1 comprising: controlling the valve to increase the heat output to a level sufficiently above the desired level to reduce an effect of hysteresis and then to decrease the heat output to the desired level. 3. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein the controlling comprises: determining a first amount of the first current signal corresponding to the desired level; providing a second amount of a fourth current signal to the conducting medium, the second amount being greater than the first amount; and reducing the second amount to equal the first amount. 4. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein the receiving comprises receiving the signal representative of the desired level of heat output of the burner from four levels of heat output of the burner, and the controlling includes controlling the valve to increase the heat output to one level above the desired level to reduce the effect of hysteresis and then to decrease the heat output to the desired level. 5. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein the receiving comprises receiving the signal representative of the desired level of heat output of the burner from four levels of heat output of the burner, and the controlling includes controlling the valve to increase the heat output to two levels above the desired level to reduce the effect of hysteresis and then to decrease the heat output to the desired level. 6. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein the receiving comprises receiving the signal representative of the desired level of heat output of the burner from four levels of heat output of the burner, and the controlling includes controlling the valve to increase the heat output to three levels above the desired level to reduce the effect of hysteresis and then to decrease the heat output to the desired level. 7. A controller programmed to: receive a signal representative of a user-selected desired level of heat output of a burner; translate the received signal to a first current signal; measure a second current signal relating to an operating current of a conducting medium that is operatively coupled with a gas valve; determine a third current signal using a plurality of selectable formulas, wherein a selection of a formula from the plurality of selectable formulas is based on a comparison of the second current signal and at least one of the first current signal and a tolerance band defined around the first current signal, said determining a third current signal comprising: multiplying a slope factor by a difference between the second current signal and the first current signal; using a first selectable formula of the plurality of selectable formulas to determine the third current signal by subtracting a result of the multiplication from the first current signal if the second current signal is greater than the sum of the first current signal and the tolerance band; using a second selectable formula of the plurality of selectable formulas to determine the third current signal by adding a result of the multiplication to the first current signal if the second current signal is less than the difference between the first current signal and the tolerance band; and using a third selectable formula of the plurality of selectable formulas to determine the third current signal by setting the third current signal equal to the first current signal if the second current signal is within the tolerance band; and provide the third current signal to the conducting medium to change the operating current of the conducting medium to control a motion of the gas valve to further control a heat output of the burner. 8. A controller in accordance with claim 7, the controller programmed to: control a motion of the valve to increase the heat output to a level sufficiently above the desired level to reduce an effect of hysteresis of the valve and then to decrease the heat output to the desired level. 9. A controller in accordance with claim 8 wherein to control the motion of the valve, the controller programmed to: determine a first amount of the first current signal corresponding to the desired level; provide a second amount of a fourth current signal to a conducting medium that is operatively coupled with the valve, the second amount being greater than the first amount; and reduce the second amount to equal the first amount. 10. A controller in accordance with claim 8 wherein to receive the signal representative of the desired level, the controller programmed to receive the signal representative of the desired level of heat output of the burner from four levels of heat output of the burner, and to control the motion of the valve, the controller programmed to control the motion of the valve to increase the heat output to one level above the desired level to reduce an effect of hysteresis and then to decrease the heat output to the desired level. 11. A controller in accordance with claim 8 wherein to receive the signal representative of the desired level, the controller programmed to receive the signal representative of the desired level of heat output of the burner from four levels of heat output of the burner, and to control the motion of the valve, the controller programmed to control the motion of the valve to increase the heat output to two levels above the desired level to reduce an effect of hysteresis and then to decrease the heat output to the desired level. 12. A controller in accordance with claim 8 wherein to receive the signal representative of the desired level, the controller programmed to receive the signal representative of the desired level of heat output of the burner from four levels of heat output of the burner that is fed via the gas feed line, and to control the motion of the valve, the controller programmed to control the motion of the valve to increase the heat output to three levels above the desired level to reduce an effect of hysteresis and then to decrease the heat output to the desired level. 13. A gas appliance comprising: a selector for selecting a desired level of heat output of a burner that is fed gas via a gas feed line; a gas valve in the gas feed line; a conducting medium operatively coupled to said gas valve and having an operating current for controlling a position of said gas valve; and a controller configured to: receive a signal from said selector representative of the desired level of heat output of the burner; translate the received signal to a first current signal; measure a second current signal relating to the operating current of the conducting medium; determine a third current signal using a plurality of selectable formulas, wherein a selection of a formula from the plurality of selectable formulas is based on a comparison of the second current signal and at least one of the first current signal and a tolerance band defined around the first current signal, said determining a third current signal comprising: multiplying a slope factor by a difference between the second current signal and the first current signal; using a first selectable formula of the plurality of selectable formulas to determine the third current signal by subtracting a result of the multiplication from the first current signal if the second current signal is greater than the sum of the first current signal and the tolerance band; using a second selectable formula of the plurality of selectable formulas to determine the third current signal by adding a result of the multiplication to the first current signal if the second current signal is less than the difference between the first current signal and the tolerance band; and using a third selectable formula of the plurality of selectable formulas to determine the third current signal by setting the third current signal equal to the first current signal if the second current signal is within the tolerance band; and provide the third current signal to the conducting medium to change the operating current of said conducting medium to control a motion of said gas valve to further control a heat output of the burner.