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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 p

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.

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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

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. The cooktop power control system of claim 1 wherein the power delivered from a first active burner is automatically decreased by a first amount and the power delivered from a second active burner is automatically decreased by a different, second amount. 3. The cooktop power control system of claim 1 wherein 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. 4. The cooktop power control system of claim 3 wherein the minimum amount of power varies depending on whether or not the measured temperature of the cookware associated with an active burner is in a boiling range. 5. The cooktop power control system of claim 1 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. 6. The cooktop power control system of claim 1 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. 7. The cooktop power control system of claim 6 wherein the controller prioritizes an active burner as a lower priority burner if the heating control user interface for that burner has recently been turned on and the measured cookware temperature is low such that it has not reached its set point temperature. 8. The cooktop power control system of claim 6 wherein the controller prioritizes an active burner as a higher priority burner when the desired cookware temperature of the cookware associated with such burner is higher than the desired cookware temperature of the cookware associated with another burner. 9. The cooktop power control system of claim 6 wherein the controller prioritizes an active burner as a higher priority burner when the time at full burner power for the cookware associated with such burner to reach the desired cookware temperature is less than the time at full burner power for the cookware associated with another burner to reach the desired cookware temperature. 10. The cooktop power control system of claim 9 wherein the prioritization of the active burner as a higher priority burner is further based on a comparison of the time at full burner power to reach the desired cookware temperature of a burner with a predetermined maximum time to reach the desired cookware temperature. 11. The cooktop power control system of claim 6 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 greater than the desired cookware temperature. 12. The cooktop power control system of claim 6 wherein when there are at least three active burners the controller prioritizes an active burner as a higher priority burner when the difference between the desired cookware temperature and the measured cookware temperature of the cookware associated with such burner is the least of the differences between the desired cookware temperature and the measured cookware temperature of the cookware associated with each of the other active burners. 13. The cooktop power control system of claim 1 wherein when the measured temperature of the cookware associated with an active burner is in a boiling range, any automatic decrease in power delivered from the burner associated with that cookware is accomplished relatively slowly following a generally asymptotic curve. 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: 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. 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: 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 burnerswherein 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. 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: 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 burnerswherein 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. 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: 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. 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: 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, andwherein when an active burner is in the boiling range the controller reduces the power to such burner gradually. 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: 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.