Method and apparatus for controlling microwave oven

#This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 2002-20271, filed Apr. 13, 2002, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates, in general, to microwave ovens and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for controlling an operation of a microwave oven during a cooking process.

#These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

#FIG. 1 is a graph expressing a conventional method of controlling an operation of a microwave oven during a cooking process;

#FIG. 2 is a graph expressing a concept of calculating cooking periods of a microwave oven in accordance with the conventional control method;

#Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.

#FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a microwave oven in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, a microwave oven comprises a body 1, an interior of which is divided into a cooking cavity 2 and a machine room 3. A door 4 is hinged to the body 1 at a position in front of the cooking cavity 2, thus allowing a user to open or to close the cooking cavity 2. A control panel 5 is provided at the front surface of the body 1. The control panel 5 includes an input unit 5A having a plurality of control buttons, and a display unit 5B displaying information thereon during a cooking process of the microwave oven. A humidity sensor 6 is installed in the body 1 so as to sense a state of air. Thus, the moisture content of the air in the cooking cavity 2 is sensed by the humidity sensor 6.

#The cooking cavity 2 is open at a front of the cooking cavity 2, and has a turntable-type cooking tray 2A on a bottom of the cooking cavity 2. An air inlet port 7A is provided at a front portion of a first sidewall 7 of the cooking cavity 2 such that the cavity 2 communicates with the machine room 3 through the air inlet port 7A. Atmospheric air is thus introduced from the machine room 3 into the cooking cavity 2 through the air inlet port 7A. An air outlet port 8A is provided at a rear portion of a second sidewall 8 of the cooking cavity 2, and discharges air from the cooking cavity 2 to outside of the body 1.