Device for determining the location of cooking utensils on a cooking hob comprising discrete distributed heating elements
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsCristiano Pastore, Salvatore Sanna, Daniele Turetta, Davide Gerola
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for determining the location of cooking utensils on a cooking hob comprising a plurality of thermal cells distributed in matrix formation below a heat-resistant surface on which the cooking utensil can be located in random manner, the determination of its location, form and dimensions enabling those thermal cells lying below the utensil to be energized, the same thermal cells being also individually used for this determination.
Claims20
A cooking hob having a plurality of thermal cells distributed in matrix formation below a heat-resistant surface on which cooking utensils can be located in random manner comprising:
- means for determining the location, form and dimensions of one or more cooking utensils positioned on said cooking hob including a signal source, means for applying a signal from said signal source individually to said plurality of thermal cells, means for receiving said signal from said thermal cells, and means for processing the signal from said thermal cells to determine which thermal cells lie under said cooking utensil(s);
- and
- means for enabling those of said thermal cells lying below said cooking utensil(s) to be energized by a power source.
A cooking hob comprising:
- a plurality of thermal cells distributed in a matrix formation below a heat-resistant surface on which one or more cooking utensils can be located in random manner;
- a power supply for energizing said thermal cells;
- a signal source;
- a receiver electromagnetically coupled to said thermal cells;
- first switching means for applying a signal from said signal source individually to said plurality of thermal cells;
- second switching means for individually connecting said plurality of thermal cells to said power supply;
- a signal processor for processing signals from said receiver;
- and
- a microprocessor to determine which thermal cells lie under a cooking utensil and map those thermal cells which lie under a cooking utensil based on signals from said signal processor and to generate an algorithm to cause said switching means to connect those of said thermal cells lying under a cooking utensil to said power supply to be energized.
A method for determining the location, form and size of cooking utensils on a cooking hob having a plurality of thermal cells distributed in a matrix formation below a heat-resistant surface on which cooking utensils can be located in random manner comprising:
- applying a signal from a signal source individually to said thermal cells;
- receiving a signal from said thermal cells which received signal varies according to whether or not a cooking utensil is located on said thermal cell;
- processing said received signals in a circuit to provide an output that indicates whether said thermal cells lies under a cooking utensil.
A method of determining the location, form and size of cooking utensils on a cooking hob having a plurality of thermal cells distributed in a matrix formation below a heat-resistant surface on which cooking utensils can be located in random manner to select thermal cells lying below a cooking utensil to be energized comprising:
- applying a signal from a signal source individually to said thermal cells;
- receiving a signal from said thermal cells which received signal varies according to whether or not a cooking utensil is located on said thermal cell;
- processing said received signals in a circuit to provide an output that indicates whether said thermal cells lies under a cooking utensil;
- providing the outputs of said circuit to a microprocessor to build a memory map of the location, form and size of cooking utensils on said cooking hob based on the outputs associated with each thermal cell;
- and
- applying an algorithm to extract from said map those thermal cells to be energized by a power source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.