Heating apparatus and heating power control method

A method for heating materials in a water contained vessel by a cooking apparatus comprising a heating means for heating said vessel, a temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of said vessel, and a heating control means for controlling the heat quantity of said heating means based on said detected temperature, said method comprising the steps of:

• detecting a first temperature gradient of said detected temperature while the temperature of said vessel is in a first temperature range below a predetermined temperature;
• determining the quantity of said materials based on said detected temperature gradient and producing a quantity factor indicative of said quantity;
• determining a boiling maintained temperature of said detected temperature gradient;
• detecting a second temperature gradient while the temperature of said vessel is in a second temperature range above said predetermined temperature and below said detected boiling maintained temperature;
• determining the material of said heating materials based on said second temperature gradient;
• producing a material factor indicative of said material;
• and
• controlling the heat quantity of said heating means according to said quantity factor and said material factor.

A heating apparatus comprising:

• a heating means for heating a vessel containing a cooking material to be cooked;
• a temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature of said vessel;
• and
• a heating control means operable in response to a signal from said temperature detecting means for controlling a heating power generated by said heating means;
• wherein said heating control means detects a temperature rise characteristic of said vessel for a predetermined period during a time sequence from a start of heating until said cooking material boils by means of said temperature detecting means, and determines the quantity of said cooking material in a first temperature region of said temperature rise characteristic, and determines the contents of said cooking material such as type of said cooking material in a second temperature region of said temperature rise characteristic which is higher than said first temperature region, and controls the heating power of said heating means according to results of both determinations.

A method for controlling a heating of a heating apparatus comprising:

• a heating means for heating a vessel containing cooking material to be cooked;
• a temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of said vessel:
• and
• a heating control means, operable in response to a signal from said temperature detecting means, for controlling a heating power generated by said heating means, said method comprising the steps of:
• detecting a temperature rise characteristic of said vessel by means of said temperature detecting means subsequent to a start of heating and also determining, in a first temperature region of said temperature rise characteristic, the quantity of said cooking material;
• determining the content of said cooking material ina second temperature region of said temperature increase characteristic which is higher than said first temperature region;
• and
• controlling the heating power of said heating means according to both a result of the determination of the quantity of said cooking material and a result of the determination of the content of said cooking material.