Remote control for a domestic appliance

A cooking appliance, comprising:

• a remote control unit adapted to be located remote from said cooking appliance, said remote control unit including
• selection means for selecting the operational parameters of said cooking appliance and for generating selection signals,
• processing means for processing such selections into a plurality of output signals, said output signals including a start signal, and a signal identifying said remote control unit,
• first wireless communication means for intermittently sending said output signals and for intermittently receiving reply signals, and
• counting means for counting the receipt of consecutive corrupted intermittent reply signals by said first wireless communication means;
• warning means for generating a warning signal upon the determination of a number of consecutive corrupted intermittent reply signals received by said wireless communication means exceeding a first predetermined number;
• and
• an appliance control unit, said appliance control unit including
• means for generating said reply signals, said reply signals having a start signal, and a signal identifying said cooking appliance,
• second wireless communication means operatively connected to said generating means for intermittently receiving said output signals and for intermittently sending said reply signals, and
• switch means for controlling said cooking appliance, said switch means operatively connected to said second wireless communication means.

A method of controlling a cooking appliance, said cooking appliance including a remote control unit adapted to be located remote from said cooking appliance, said remote control unit having selection means for selecting the operational parameters of said cooking appliance and for generating selection signals, processing means for processing such selections into a plurality of output signals, said output signal including a start signal, and a signal identifying said remote control unit, said remote control unit further including first wireless communication means for intermittently sending said output signals and for intermittently receiving reply signals, and timing means for measuring the time period between the receipt by said first wireless communication means of successive intermittent reply signals, warning means for generating a warning signal upon the determination of an elapsed time period between the transmission of said intermittent output signals and the receipt of said intermittent reply signals exceeding a first predetermined value, and said cooking appliance further comprising an appliance control unit, said appliance control unit including means for generating said reply signals and switch means for controlling said cooking appliance, said reply signals having a start signal, and a signal identifying said cooking appliance, said appliance control unit further including second wireless communication means operatively connected to said generating means for intermittently receiving said output signals and for intermittently sending said reply signals, said switch means operatively connected to said wireless communication means, said method comprising the steps of:

• selecting said operational parameters of said cooking appliance;
• processing said selections into a plurality of output signals;
• intermittently transmitting said output signals from said first wireless communication means;
• intermittently receiving said output signals at said second wireless communication means;
• generating said reply signals;
• intermittently transmitting said reply signals from said second wireless communication means;
• intermittently receiving said reply signals with said first wireless communication means;
• timing the time period between the receipt by said first wireless communication means of successive intermittent reply signals, and
• generating a warning signal upon the determination of an elapsed time period between the transmission of said intermittent output signals and the receipt of said intermittent reply signals by said first wireless communication means exceeding a first predetermined value.

A electronic control for use with a cooking appliance, comprising:

• a remote control unit adapted to be located remote from said cooking appliance, said remote control unit having
• means for repetitively generating an output signal having a first predetermined time interval between each output signal,
• first wireless communication means for sending said output signals and for receiving reply signals, and
• timing means for timing the time period between the receipt by first wireless communication means of successive reply signals;
• warning means for generating a warning signal upon the determination of an elapsed time period between the transmission of said intermittent output signals and the receipt of said intermittent reply signals exceeding a second predetermined value greater than at least twice said first predefined time interval;
• and
• an appliance control unit adapted to be located within said cooking appliance, said appliance control unit having
• means for repetitively generating said reply signal at predefined time intervals in response to said output signal,
• second wireless communication means operatively connected to said reply signal generating means for receiving said output signals and for sending said reply signals, and
• switch means for controlling said cooking appliance, said switch means operatively connected to said second wireless communication means.

A method for controlling a cooking appliance, said cooking appliance including a remote control unit adapted to be located remote from said cooking appliance, said remote control unit having means for repetitively generating an output signal having a first predefined time interval between each output signal, first wireless communication means for sending said output signals and for receiving reply signals, and timing means for timing the time period between the receipt by first wireless communication means of successive reply signals, warning means for generating a warning signal upon the determination of an elapsed time period between the transmission of said intermittent output signals and the receipt of said intermittent reply signals exceeding a second predetermined value greater than at least twice said first predefined time interval, and said cooking appliance further including an appliance control unit having means for repetitively generating said reply signal at predetermined time intervals in response to said output signal, second wireless communication means operatively connected to said reply signal generating means for receiving said output signals and for sending said reply signals, and switch means for controlling said cooking appliance, said switch means operatively connected to said second wireless communication means, said method comprising the steps of:

• generating said output signal after passage of each of said first predefined time interval;
• transmitting said output signal with said first wireless communication means;
• receiving said output signal at said second wireless communication means;
• generating said reply signal in response to said output signal;
• transmitting said reply signal with said second wireless communication means;
• receiving said reply signal at said first wireless communication means;
• measuring the time period between the transmission of said output signals and the receipt of said reply signals;
• and
• generating a warning signal upon the determination of an elapsed time period between the transmission of said intermittent output signals and the receipt of said intermittent reply signals exceeding a second predetermined value greater than at least twice said first predefined time interval.