Apparatus, system, and method for a heating surface having a selectable shape, size, location, and heat intensity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10070484-B2
Application number	US-201414245879-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2014
Priority date	Apr 11, 2013
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A heating appliance includes a heating structure having a lower surface and a flat upper surface for supporting and imparting heat into an object, such a pot or pan used to cook food. The heating structure includes an array of heating elements arranged on the lower surface of the heating structure in an m×n array having m columns and n rows. Each element is thermally coupled to a region of the structure for heating its respective region of the structure independently of other regions of the structure associated with the other heating elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heating appliance for an object, the heating appliance comprising:
a heating structure having a lower surface and a flat upper surface for supporting and imparting heat into the object; and
an array of heating elements arranged on the lower surface of the heating structure in an m×n array having m columns and n rows, each element thermally coupled to a region of the structure for heating its respective region of the structure independently of other regions of the structure associated with the other heating elements;
an array of light sensors arranged on the lower surface of the heating structure proximate the array of heating elements to detect a blockage of light at the array of light sensors from a placement of the object on the flat upper surface of the heating structure; and
a controller to:
display a plurality of shapes on a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the GUI is located separate from the controller and configured to communicate with the controller using wireless communications, the plurality of shapes comprising at least one of a circle, a rectangle, and a hexagon;
receive size and location information for the object on the flat upper surface of the heating structure from the array of light sensors;
display a size and location representation for the object on the flat upper surface of the heating structure on the GUI;
receive a user selection of one of the shapes through the GUI;
receive a user selection of a size for the selected one shape through the GUI comprising at least one of an approximate diameter of the circle and an approximate length of a side of the rectangle;
receive a user selection of a location for the selected shape on the flat upper surface of the heating structure through the GUI;
map the selected one shape, the selected size, and the selected location to a heating region representing a portion of the heating elements having the selected one shape at the selected size at the selected location on the flat upper surface; and
selectively energize the portion of the heating elements.

2. The heating appliance of claim 1 , wherein the heating structure comprises:
an element mounting member on which the heating elements are mounted; and
a glass plate thermally coupled to the element mounting member, the glass plate comprising the upper surface.

3. The heating appliance of claim 2 , wherein the element mounting member is made of a ceramic material.

4. The heating appliance of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the heating elements are selectively energized such that their respective regions form a specified location of the heating structure that is heated.

5. The heating appliance of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the heating elements are selectively energized according to a specified heat intensity.

6. The heating appliance of claim 3 , wherein the ceramic material comprises an array of depressions into which the heating elements are disposed, each heating element comprising an elongated section of electrically resistive material bent into a semi-circular shape.

7. The heating appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of light indicators each configured proximate one of the heating elements, each light indicator configured to generate light when its respective heating element is energized.

8. The heating appliance of claim 1 , wherein the object comprises a pot or pan adapted to cook food.

9. A selective shape and size heating system comprising:
a plurality of heating elements arranged on a heating structure, each element thermally coupled to a region of the structure for heating its respective region of the structure independently of other regions of the structure associated with the other heating elements;
an array of light sensors arranged on the lower surface of the heating structure proximate the array of heating elements to detect a blockage of light at the array of light sensors from a placement of the object on the flat upper surface of the heating structure; and
a controller coupled to the heating elements to:
display a plurality of shapes on a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the GUI is located separate from the controller and configured to communicate with the controller using wireless communications, the plurality of shapes comprising at least one of a circle, a rectangle, and a hexagon;
receive size and location information for the object on the flat upper surface of the heating structure from the array of light sensors;
display a size and location representation for the object on the flat upper surface of the heating structure on the GUI;
receive user selection of one of the shapes through the GUI;
receive user selection of a size for the selected one shape through the GUI comprising at least one of an approximate diameter of the circle and an approximate length of a side of the rectangle;
receive a user selection of a location for the selected shape on the flat upper surface of the heating structure through the GUI;
map the selected one shape, the selected size, and the selected location to a heating region representing a portion of the heating elements having the selected one shape at the selected size at the selected location on the flat upper surface; and
selectively energize the portion of the heating elements.

10. The selective shape and size heating system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to:
receive temperature information from an array of sensors coupled to corresponding ones of the heating elements; and
determine the subset of heating element to be used according to the received sensor information.

11. The selective shape and size heating system of claim 10 , wherein the sensors comprise at least one of a plurality of thermal sensors thermally coupled to its respective heating element, or a plurality of light sensors disposed proximate its respective heating element.

12. The selective shape and size heating system of claim 9 , further comprising an array of switches electrically coupled to corresponding ones of the heater elements, each switch configured to, under control of the controller, selectively energize its respective heater element.

13. The selective shape and size heating system of claim 12 , wherein the array of switches comprise an array of metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) devices.

14. The selective shape and size heating system of claim 9 , wherein the heating elements are arranged in an m×n array having m columns and n rows, each m'th column of heating elements electrically coupled to one of a plurality of first switches for selectively energizing its respective m'th column of heating elements, and each n'th row of heating elements electrically coupled to one of a plurality of second switches for selectively energizing its respective n'th row of heating elements.

15. A heating method comprising:
displaying, using at least one processor executing instructions stored in at least one memory, a plurality of shapes on a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the GUI is located separate from the controller and configured to communicate with the controller using wireless communications, the plurality of shapes comprising at least one of a circle, a rectangle, and a hexagon;
displaying a size and location representation on the GUI for an object located on a flat upper surface of a heating structure, the size and location representation based at least on information received from an array of light sensors arranged on a lower surface of the heating structure to detect a blockage of light at the array of light sensors from the placement of the obj

Assignees

• Univ Colorado State Res Found

Inventors

• Thompson Kevin N
• Foster Sam M
• Cogdill Craig M
• Nestler Stanley

Classifications

• H05B2213/03

  Heating plates made out of a matrix of heating elements that can define heating areas adapted to cookware randomly placed on the heating plate · CPC title

• H05B2203/014

  Heaters using resistive wires or cables not provided for in H05B3/54 · CPC title

• H05B3/746

  Protection, e.g. overheat cutoff, hot plate indicator · CPC title

• H05B3/74

  Non-metallic plates {, e.g. vitroceramic, ceramic or glassceramic hobs, also including power or control circuits} · CPC title

• H05B2213/05

  Heating plates with pan detection means · CPC title