Method for controlling a cooking appliance using an external control device, cooking appliance and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11041628-B2
Application number	US-201816185173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2018
Priority date	Nov 22, 2017
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

In a method for controlling a cooking appliance having heating devices and an internal cooking appliance controller by means of an external control device which is arranged outside the cooking appliance and may be a mobile telephone, this external control device provides the cooking appliance controller with control commands. The external control device is classified by the cooking appliance controller either as an automatic control device or as a manual control device, wherein its control commands are implemented by the cooking appliance controller after the classification. A check is carried out continuously or at intervals during operation of the cooking appliance in order to determine whether the classification still applies.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Method for controlling a cooking appliance using an external control device, wherein: said cooking appliance has at least one heating device and an internal cooking appliance controller,
said external control device is arranged outside said cooking appliance, said external control device provides said cooking appliance controller with control commands for controlling at least said heating device,
wherein
said external control device is classified by said cooking appliance controller either as an automatic control device or as a manual control device,
following said classification of said external control device, said control commands from said external control device are implemented by said cooking appliance controller,
a check is carried out continuously or at intervals during operation of said cooking appliance in order to determine whether said classification of said external control device still applies; and
if said external control device is classified as an automatic control device, said cooking appliance controller requests additional information in order to determine and check a type of temperature control by said external control device.

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein, before said classification by said cooking appliance controller, said external control device transmits an item of classification information to said cooking appliance controller, which information identifies said external control device as an automatic control device or as a manual control device.

3. Method according to claim 2 , wherein said cooking appliance controller also uses further information as a criterion for said classification from a group of: type of control commands, frequency of said control commands, continuity or consistency of said control commands.

4. Method according to claim 1 , wherein, if said check reveals that a previous classification still applies, operation of said cooking appliance and of said heating device of said cooking appliance, which are controlled by said external control device, is continued as before.

5. Method according to claim 4 , wherein control commands for changing power generation at said heating device are accepted and implemented without change by said cooking appliance controller.

6. Method according to claim 1 , wherein, if said check reveals that a previous classification no longer applies, a reclassification is carried out only when not only said criteria for said previous classification are no longer satisfied but also when said criteria for said new classification are explicitly satisfied.

7. Method according to claim 1 , wherein, if said check reveals that a previous classification no longer applies, said cooking appliance is changed over to a safety mode.

8. Method according to claim 7 , wherein, if said check reveals that said previous classification no longer applies with a change from a manual control device to an automatic control device, said cooking appliance is changed over to a safety mode.

9. Method according to claim 7 , wherein said power of a heating device currently operated and controlled by said external control device is reduced to a maximum of 20% of its maximum power.

10. Method according to claim 1 , wherein it is queried whether said operation of said heating device of said cooking appliance is a boiling process or a roasting process and what a desired setpoint temperature is for said temperature control.

11. Method according to claim 1 , wherein additional information such as an item of temperature information is compared with a temperature probe on said heating device or for said heating device during ongoing operation of said heating device.

12. Method according to claim 1 , wherein said external control device is a user interface which can be subsequently connected and is connected to said cooking appliance controller by means of a radio path, wherein said external control device has a temperature sensor as a remote control and is itself arranged on a cookware or is integrated in a cookware, wherein said external control device controls said temperature of said cookware and, for said purpose, specifies power control for said heating device of said cookware to said cooking appliance controller.

13. Method according to claim 1 , wherein said external control device is a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet computer, wherein said mobile terminal controls said temperature directly or via an app running on it for a purpose of specifying a heating power for said heating device by means of control commands.

14. Method according to claim 1 , wherein said external control device is wirelessly connected to a temperature sensor using a radio path, wherein said temperature sensor is arranged on a cookware or is integrated in a cookware.

15. Method according to claim 1 , wherein, if said external control device is classified as a manual control device and this also still applies after each said check, no restrictions or changes are made to said control commands given by said external control device.

16. Method according to claim 1 , wherein operation of said cooking appliance or of said heating device is continued as before as long as said original classification still applies.

17. Method according to claim 1 , wherein, during said continuous check or said check carried out at intervals in order to determine whether said classification still applies, a temperature value of a cookware heated with said heating device is queried and said cooking appliance controller checks whether said temperature value corresponds to heating energy previously given to said heating device for said cookware.

18. Method according to claim 1 , wherein, during said check in order to determine whether said classification still applies, a frequency of a power adjustment is captured for said heating device, wherein, if said power is changed more than three times per minute, said classification is changed from a manual control device to an automatic control device.

19. Method according to claim 1 , wherein, during said check in order to determine whether said classification still applies, it is captured whether said power is adjusted by said external control device either at irregular intervals of time or at regular intervals of time or with integer multiples of a particular time unit.

20. Method according to claim 19 , wherein said external control device is classified as a manual control device in said first case and is classified as an automatic control device in said second case.

21. Method according to claim 1 , wherein, if classified as an automatic control device, said power of a heating device currently operated by said external control device is reduced to a maximum of 20% of its maximum power if communication with said external control device is aborted.

22. Method according to claim 1 , wherein, if classified as a manual control device, said heating device currently operated by said external control device continues to be operated without change if communication with said external control device is aborted.

23. Cooking appliance having at least one heating device and an internal cooking appliance controller, wherein said cooking appliance controller is designed to carry out a method according to claim 1 .

24. System having an external control device and a cooking appliance according to claim 23 , wherein said external control device is designed to be arranged outside said c

Assignees

• Ego Elektro Geraetebau Gmbh

Inventors

• Egenter Christian
• Frank Marcus
• Schaumann Uwe
• Schmidt Kay

Classifications

• F24C7/082 Primary

  on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination · CPC title

• H04L2012/285

  Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators · CPC title

• H04Q2209/40

  using a wireless architecture · CPC title

• F24C7/081

  on stoves · CPC title

• F24C7/087

  of electric circuits regulating heat · CPC title