Cooking device and control method therefor

Abstract

This cooking device comprises: an upper plate including a heating zone; an induction coil aligned with respect to the heating zone; an acceleration sensor coupled to the upper plate; a calculator for processing sensing data detected by the acceleration sensor; and a processor for controlling the induction coil, the acceleration sensor, and the calculator. The processor detects a vibration level for the upper plate by using the acceleration sensor while the induction coil heats a cooking utensil on the heating zone, and obtains data associated with a frequency spectrum of the detected vibration level by using the calculator. The processor determines at least one reference value for a specific frequency spectrum on the basis of the obtained data, evaluates, on the basis of the determined at least one reference value, data associated with a frequency spectrum obtained after the at least one reference value is determined, identifies, on the basis of the evaluation, boiling of ingredients in the cooking utensil, and controls the induction coil on the basis of the identification.

Description

Cooking appliances and methods for controlling them

[0001] The descriptions below are about cooking appliances and their control methods.

[0002] Cooking appliances like induction hobs utilize the principle of electromagnetic induction to heat food. Unlike conventional electric or gas cooktops, which rely on direct heat transfer from an electric coil or flame, induction hobs utilize an induction coil placed beneath the cooking appliance. The induction coil generates a magnetic field when subjected to an alternating current. This magnetic field induces eddy currents in ferromagnetic cooking appliances placed on the hob. Consequently, the cooking appliance itself becomes a heat source due to the metal's resistance to the induced current, heating food quickly and efficiently.

[0003] The above information may be provided as background art to aid in understanding the present disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the above is applicable as prior art in connection with the present disclosure.

[0004] In one embodiment, a cooking appliance may include a top plate including a heating zone, an induction coil aligned with respect to the heating zone, an acceleration sensor coupled to the top plate, a calculator for processing sensing data detected by the acceleration sensor, and a processor for controlling the induction coil, the acceleration sensor, and the calculator. The processor may detect a vibration level of the top plate by the acceleration sensor while the induction coil heats a cooking utensil on the heating zone, and obtain data associated with a frequency spectrum of the detected vibration level by the calculator. The processor may determine at least one reference value for a specific frequency spectrum based on the obtained data. After determining the at least one reference value, the processor may evaluate data associated with the acquired frequency spectrum based on the determined at least one reference value. The processor may identify boiling of a material within the cooking utensil based on the evaluation. The processor may control the induction coil based on the identification.

[0005] In one embodiment, a method for controlling a cooking appliance may include: heating a cooking utensil on a cooking surface through an induction coil; acquiring data associated with a frequency spectrum of a vibration level of the cooking surface while heating the cooking utensil; determining at least one reference value for a specific frequency spectrum based on the acquired data; evaluating data associated with the acquired frequency spectrum after determining the at least one reference value based on the determined at least one reference value; identifying boiling of a substance in the cooking surface based on the evaluation; and controlling the induction coil based on the identification.

[0006] In one embodiment, a cooking appliance may include a top plate including a heating zone, an induction coil aligned with respect to the heating zone, at least one sensor, a memory including at least one storage medium storing instructions, and a processor including a processing circuit. The instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor, may cause the cooking appliance to heat a cooking utensil on the heating zone of the top plate via the induction coil. The instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor, may cause the cooking appliance to detect, using the at least one sensor, boiling of a substance within the cooking utensil and a temperature of the heating zone of the top plate while heating the cooking utensil. The instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor, may cause the cooking appliance to change a heating level of the cooking utensil based on a timing at which the boiling is detected or a temperature detected at the timing.

[0007] According to one embodiment, a method for controlling a cooking appliance may include an operation of heating a cooking utensil on a cooking surface through an induction coil under the cooking surface, an operation of detecting boiling of a substance within the cooking surface using an acceleration sensor while heating the cooking surface and a operation of detecting a temperature corresponding to the substance within the cooking surface using a temperature sensor, and an operation of changing a heating level of the cooking surface based on a timing at which the boiling is detected or a temperature detected using the temperature sensor at the timing.

[0008] FIG. 1 is an exemplary plan view of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0009] FIG. 2 is an exemplary plan view of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0010] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing an exemplary configuration of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0011] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0012] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0013] FIG. 6 is a graph showing data associated with a frequency spectrum according to one embodiment.

[0014] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0015] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0016] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0017] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0018] Fig. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0019] Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0020] Figure 13 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0021] Figure 14 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0022] FIG. 15 is a drawing showing an exemplary configuration of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0023] Figure 16 is a graph showing the temperature according to the heating time of the cooking utensil.

[0024] Figure 17 is a graph showing the temperature according to the heating time of the cooking utensil.

[0025] Figure 18 is a graph showing the temperature according to the heating time of the cooking utensil.

[0026] Figure 19 is a graph showing the temperature according to the heating time of the cooking utensil.

[0027] Figure 20 is a flowchart showing the operation of a cooking appliance that controls the fire power level.

[0028] Figure 21 is a flowchart showing the operation of a cooking appliance that controls the fire power level.

[0029] Figure 22 is a flowchart showing the operation of a cooking appliance that controls the fire power level.

[0030] Figure 23 is a flowchart showing the operation of a cooking appliance that controls the fire power level.

[0031] FIG. 24a is a drawing showing a panel of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0032] FIG. 24b is a drawing showing a panel of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0033] FIG. 24c is a drawing showing a panel of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0034] FIG. 24d is a drawing showing a panel of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0035] FIG. 24e is a drawing showing a panel of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0036] Hereinafter, the terms used in this disclosure will be briefly described, and an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail. The terms used in this disclosure have been selected from widely used and general terms as much as possible, taking into account the functions of the embodiment of the present disclosure. However, these terms may vary depending on the intentions of those skilled in the art, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Furthermore, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in such cases, the meanings thereof will be described in detail in the description of the relevant embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure should be defined not simply as names of terms, but based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the present disclosure.

[0037] In this disclosure, the expression “at least one of a, b or c” may refer to “a”, “b”, “c”, “a and b”, “a and c”, “b and c”, “all of a, b and c”, or variations thereof.

[0038] Throughout this disclosure, when a part is said to "include" a component, this does not exclude other components, but rather implies the inclusion of other components, unless otherwise specifically stated. Furthermore, terms such as "part," "module," and the like described herein refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0039] Below, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them. However, one embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description may be omitted to clearly describe one embodiment of the present disclosure. The same reference numerals are provided for the same components throughout the present disclosure, and redundant descriptions thereof may be omitted.

[0040] Figures 1 and 2 are exemplary top views of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment. Referring to Figure 1, according to one embodiment, a cooking appliance (1) may include an induction hob. For example, the cooking appliance (1) may include a cooking surface (15). The cooking surface (hob) (15) may include a heating zone (cooking zone or burner). For example, the cooking surface (15) may include a first heating zone (151), a second heating zone (152), and a third heating zone (153).

[0041] In one embodiment, the cooking device (1) may include a sensor (20). The sensor (20) may be positioned substantially midway between the first heating zone (151), the second heating zone (152), and the third heating zone (153). Accordingly, the sensor (20) may improve the relative accuracy of values ​​detected for the first heating zone (151), the second heating zone (152), and the third heating zone (153). Although not shown, the cooking device (1) may include induction coils (e.g., the induction coil (10) of FIG. 3) aligned respectively for the first heating zone (151), the second heating zone (152), and the third heating zone (153).

[0042] In one embodiment, the cooking appliance (1) may include a panel (or user interface) (160) arranged on the top plate (15). The panel (160) may include, for example, a display (161) for displaying various information, such as the operating status of the cooking appliance (1), and buttons (162) for a user to control the cooking appliance (1). The panel (160) may be configured to detect a user's touch input, and the buttons (162) may be implemented as soft buttons operated by the touch input, but are not limited thereto. For example, at least some of the buttons (162) may be implemented as physical buttons.

[0043] In one embodiment, the cooking appliance (1) may be built-in to the countertop or installed in a separate frame.

[0044] In Fig. 1, the top plate (15) is illustrated as including three distinct heating zones (151, 152, 153), but is not limited thereto. For example, referring to Fig. 2, the top plate (15) may include one heating zone (155). In this case, the heating zone (155) may occupy most of the area of ​​the top plate (15), and the cooking device (1) may heat a cooking utensil placed on the heating zone (155) without any limitation on its position. For example, the cooking device (1) may detect the position of the cooking utensil on the heating zone (155) and operate an induction coil at a position corresponding to the detected position. Accordingly, a cooking utensil placed at any position on the heating zone (155) may be heated. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described example.

[0045] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an exemplary configuration of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment. Solid arrows in FIG. 3 represent the flow of data, and dotted arrows represent bias voltage. Referring to FIG. 3, a cooking appliance (1) according to an embodiment may include an induction coil (10), a sensor (20), an operator (30), an LDO regulator (low-dropout regulator) (40), a voltage level shifter (50), and a controller (60). In an embodiment, the operator (30), the LDO regulator (40), the voltage level shifter (50), and the controller (60) may be mounted on a printed circuit board.

[0046] In one embodiment, the controller (60) can control the overall operation of the cooking appliance (1). The controller (60) can include a processing device (e.g., processing circuitry), such as a microcontroller and a microprocessor. In one embodiment, the controller (60) can be operatively coupled to the induction coil (10), the sensor (20), the calculator (30), the LDO regulator (40), and the voltage level converter (50). For example, the controller (60) can be communicatively connected to the calculator (30), the LDO regulator (40), and the voltage level converter (50). For example, the controller (60), the calculator (30), the LDO regulator (40), and the voltage level converter (50) may be interconnected via a communication protocol such as, but not limited to, I2C (inter-integrated circuit), GPIO (general-purpose input / output), or UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter).

[0047] In one embodiment, the controller (60) can control an alternating current applied to an induction coil (10) via a power device. The induction coil (10) can heat a cooking utensil (25) placed on a top plate (15) (e.g., heating zones (151, 152, 153) of FIG. 1). The top plate (15) can be formed of glass and / or ceramic for properties such as durability, heat resistance, and permeability to electromagnetic fields.

[0048] In one embodiment, the sensor (20) may be coupled to the lower portion of the top plate (15). In one embodiment, the sensor (20) may be configured to detect vibrations relative to the top plate (15). For example, the sensor (20) may include an acceleration sensor that measures acceleration (e.g., acceleration in the z-axis direction) relative to an area of ​​the top plate or a point within the area. In one embodiment, the sensor (20) may transmit acceleration data to the computing unit (30). In order to fully detect vibrations of the top plate (15), the sensor (20) may be attached to the back surface of the top plate (15) via an adhesive member (e.g., a solid glue). Additionally, the cooking appliance (1) or the sensor (20) may include a temperature sensor (e.g., a temperature sensor (150) of FIG. 15) for detecting a temperature of the top plate (15). For example, the temperature sensor can detect the temperature for each of the heating zones of the top plate (15) (e.g., heating zones (151, 152, 153) of FIG. 1).

[0049] In one embodiment, the operator (30) may include a computing unit such as a micro processing unit (MCU). The operator (30) may process data provided from the sensor (20). For example, the operator (30) may transform (e.g., fast Fourier transform (FFT)) the vibration level detected by the sensor (20). For this purpose, the operator (30) may support an FFT library module.

[0050] In one embodiment, an LDO regulator (40) can regulate an input voltage and provide it to an operator (30), a voltage level converter (50), and a sensor (20).

[0051] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a cooking appliance according to an embodiment. The operations illustrated in FIG. 4 and the following drawings may be performed by the cooking appliance (1) or the controller (60) of FIG. 3. The operations illustrated in FIG. 4 and the following drawings may be caused by one or more instructions stored in one or more programs stored in the cooking appliance (1) when the programs are executed by the controller (60). For example, the cooking appliance (1) may include a memory including at least one storage medium storing instructions. The instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the controller (60), may cause operations of the cooking appliance (1) described in FIG. 4 and the following drawings. The operations illustrated in FIG. 4 and the following drawings may be performed sequentially, in parallel, or substantially simultaneously.

[0052] Referring to FIG. 4 along with FIG. 3, in operation (S410), the controller (60) can detect a vibration level for the top plate by the acceleration sensor. For example, the controller (60) can heat a cooking utensil (25) on the heating zone of the top plate (15) by the induction coil (10). While heating the cooking utensil (25), the controller (60) can detect a vibration level for the top plate (15) by the acceleration sensor (20).

[0053] In operation (S420), the controller (60) can obtain data related to the frequency spectrum of the vibration level detected by the operator. For example, the controller (60) can obtain data related to the frequency spectrum of the vibration level detected by the operator (30) while the induction coil (10) heats the cooking utensil (25) on the heating zone.

[0054] In operation (S430), the controller (60) can determine at least one reference value for a specific frequency spectrum based on the acquired data. For example, the controller (60) can determine at least one reference value for a specific frequency spectrum based on the acquired data.

[0055] In operation (S440), the controller (60) can evaluate data associated with the frequency spectrum acquired after determining the at least one reference value based on the at least one reference value.

[0056] In operation (S450), the controller (60) can identify the boiling of a substance within the cooking utensil. For example, the controller (60) can identify the boiling of a substance within the cooking utensil (25) based on the above evaluation.

[0057] In operation (S460), the controller (60) can control the induction coil. For example, the controller (60) can control the induction coil (10) based on the identification of boiling of a material within the cooking utensil (25).

[0058] Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operating method of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment. Operations (S510, S520, S530, S540) of Fig. 5 may be detailed operations of operation (S430) of Fig. 4. Operation (S550) of Fig. 5 may be detailed operations of operation (S440) of Fig. 4. Operation (S560) of Fig. 5 may be detailed operations of operation (S450) of Fig. 4. Operation (S570) of Fig. 5 may be detailed operations of operation (S460) of Fig. 4.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 5 along with FIG. 3, in operation (S510), the controller (60) can monitor whether data associated with the acquired frequency spectrum satisfies a first specified condition. For example, the controller (60) can monitor whether data associated with the acquired frequency spectrum satisfies a first specified condition.

[0060] In operation (S520), the controller (60) can set a first reference value for a specific frequency spectrum. For example, the controller (60) can determine data associated with a frequency spectrum that satisfies the specified condition as the first reference value for the specific frequency spectrum.

[0061] In operation (S530), the controller (60) can monitor whether data associated with the acquired frequency spectrum satisfies a second specified condition. For example, the controller (60) can monitor whether data associated with the acquired frequency spectrum, after determining the first reference value, satisfies a second specified condition.

[0062] In operation (S540), the controller (60) may set a second reference value for a specific frequency spectrum. For example, the controller (60) may determine data associated with a frequency spectrum that satisfies the second specified condition as the second reference value for the specific frequency spectrum. The second reference value may be different from the first reference value.

[0063] In operation (S550), the controller (60) can monitor whether the data associated with the acquired frequency spectrum satisfies a third specified condition. For example, the controller (60) can monitor whether the data associated with the acquired frequency spectrum satisfies the third specified condition after determining the second reference value. The third specified condition can be, for example, a condition based at least on the first reference value and the second reference value. The third specified condition can be, for example, based on the first reference value, the second reference value, and the temperature of the upper plate. In this case, the controller (60) can detect the temperature of the upper plate (15) by the temperature sensor after determining the second reference value in order to monitor whether the third specified condition is satisfied in operation (S550).

[0064] In operation (S560), the controller (60) can identify boiling of a material within the cooking utensil (25) in response to detecting that the data associated with the acquired frequency spectrum satisfies the third specified condition.

[0065] In operation (S570), the controller (60) may reduce the output of the induction coil. For example, the controller (60) may reduce the output of the induction coil (10) in response to identifying boiling of a substance within the cooking utensil (25). For example, the controller (60) may reduce the power supplied to the induction coil (10).

[0066] FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating data associated with a frequency spectrum according to an embodiment. The data associated with the frequency spectrum illustrated in FIG. 6 may be generated, for example, by the configuration of FIG. 3 (e.g., sensor (20) and calculator (30)). Furthermore, the data associated with the frequency spectrum illustrated in FIG. 6 may be utilized to perform the operations of FIGS. 4 and 5. The horizontal axis of the graph in FIG. 6 may represent time increasing to the right, and the vertical axis may represent frequency components increasing upward.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 6, the first section (610) may be a section where heating begins or an initial heating section. The second section (620) may be a section where heating occurs until boiling. The third section (630) may be a section where boiling begins. Data associated with the frequency spectrum of the third section (630) may be maintained at a smaller value compared to the second section (620).

[0068] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 7, along with FIGS. 1 and 3, in operation (700), the controller (60) can receive input from an induction key. For example, the controller (60) can receive user input via a button (162) on the panel (160).

[0070] In operation (710), the controller (60) can select a menu. For example, the controller (60) can select a menu (e.g., water, soup, or stew) that the user wants to cook based on the user input.

[0071] In operation (720), the controller (60) can determine whether to use the delay time setting. For example, whether to use the delay time setting can be preset by a user input. For example, whether to use the delay time setting can be determined by a user input received after performing operation (810). In operation (720), if the controller (60) determines to use the delay time setting (operation 720: Yes), operation (750) can be performed, and if not (operation 720: No), operation (730) can be performed.

[0072] In operation (730), the controller (60) can detect boiling. For example, the controller (60) can detect boiling of a substance within a cooking utensil (25) being heated. For operation (730), the descriptions of operation (S450) of FIG. 4 and operation (S560) of FIG. 5 can be substantially equally applied.

[0073] In operation (740), the controller (60) can reduce the output. For example, the controller (60) can reduce the output of the induction coil (10). For operation (740), the descriptions of operation (S460) of FIG. 4 and operation (S570) of FIG. 5 can be substantially equally applied.

[0074] In operation (750), the controller (60) can set the time. For example, the controller (60) can set the time based on user input entered through the panel (160).

[0075] In operation (760), the controller (60) can detect boiling (e.g., operation (730)).

[0076] In operation (770), the controller (60) can count time. For example, the controller (60) can count the time set in operation (750).

[0077] In operation (780), the controller (60) may lower the output (e.g., operation (740)). For example, the controller (60) may lower the output of the induction coil (10) in response to the expiration of the count of the set time.

[0078] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0079] Referring to FIG. 8, along with FIGS. 1 and 3, in operation (800), the controller (60) can receive input from an induction key. For example, the controller (60) can receive user input via a button (162) on a panel (160).

[0080] In operation (810), the controller (60) can select a menu. For example, the controller (60) can select a menu (e.g., water, soup, or stew) that the user wants to cook based on the user input.

[0081] In operation (820), the controller (60) can determine whether to use the temperature setting function. Whether to use the temperature setting function can be preset by a user input. For example, whether to use the temperature setting function can be determined by a user input received after performing operation (810). In operation (820), if the controller (60) determines to use the delay time setting (operation 820: Yes), operation (850) can be performed, and if not (operation 820: No), operation (830) can be performed.

[0082] In operation (830), the controller (60) can detect boiling. For example, the controller (60) can detect boiling of a substance within a cooking utensil (25) being heated. For operation (830), the descriptions of operation (S450) of FIG. 4 and operation (S560) of FIG. 5 can be substantially equally applied.

[0083] In operation (840), the controller (60) can reduce the output. For example, the controller (60) can reduce the output of the induction coil (10). For operation (840), the descriptions of operation (S460) of FIG. 4 and operation (S570) of FIG. 5 can be substantially equally applied.

[0084] In operation (850), the controller (60) can set a desired temperature. For example, the controller (60) can set the desired temperature based on a user input entered through the panel (160).

[0085] In operation (860), the controller (60) can detect boiling (e.g., operation (730)).

[0086] In operation (870), the controller (60) can maintain the output until the target temperature is reached. For example, the controller (60) can maintain the output of the induction coil (10) until the temperature set in operation (850) is reached.

[0087] In operation (880), the controller (60) can identify that the target temperature has been reached. For example, the controller (60) can detect the temperature of the top plate (15) using a temperature sensor. The controller (60) can detect that the set temperature has been reached by comparing the detected temperature with the set temperature.

[0088] In operation (890), the controller (60) may lower the output (e.g., operation (740)). For example, the controller (60) may lower the output of the induction coil (10) in response to detecting that the set temperature has been reached.

[0089] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 9, along with FIGS. 1 and 3, in operation (900), the controller (60) can receive input from an induction key. For example, the controller (60) can receive user input via a button (162) on a panel (160).

[0091] In operation (910), the controller (60) can select a menu. For example, the controller (60) can select a menu (e.g., water, soup, or stew) that the user wants to cook based on the user input.

[0092] In operation (920), the controller (60) can set the output. For example, in operation (920), the controller (60) can set the output of the induction coil (10) based on user input received through the panel (160).

[0093] In operation (930), the controller (60) can start heating. For example, the controller (60) can control the induction coil (10) to operate at the set output.

[0094] In operation (940), the controller (60) can determine whether an impact has been detected. For example, the controller (60) can detect an impact on the cooking appliance (1) using a value detected by the sensor (20). In operation (940), if the controller (60) detects an impact (operation 940: Yes), operation (970) can be performed, and if not (operation 940: No), operation (950) can be performed.

[0095] In operation (950), the controller (60) can detect boiling. For example, the controller (60) can detect boiling of a substance within a cooking utensil (25) being heated. For operation (950), the descriptions of operation (S450) of FIG. 4 and operation (S560) of FIG. 5 can be substantially equally applied.

[0096] In operation (960), the controller (60) can reduce the output. For example, the controller (60) can reduce the output of the induction coil (10). For operation (960), the descriptions of operation (S460) of FIG. 4 and operation (S570) of FIG. 5 can be substantially equally applied.

[0097] In operation (970), the controller (60) can turn off the output. For example, the controller (60) can turn off the output of the induction coil (10) in response to detecting an impact.

[0098] In operation (980), the controller (60) may provide an error notification. For example, the controller (60) may provide a notification indicating that an error has occurred in response to the output of the induction coil (10) being turned off. For example, the notification may include visual information displayed on the display (161) or sound output through a speaker (not shown) of the cooking appliance (1).

[0099] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0100] Referring to FIG. 10, along with FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, in operation (940), if the controller (60) detects an impact (operation 940: Yes), operation (1010) may be performed, and if not (operation 940: No), operation (950) may be performed.

[0101] In operation (1010), the controller (60) may provide an error notification. For example, in response to detecting an impact, the controller (60) may provide a notification indicating that an error has occurred. For example, the notification may include visual information displayed on the display (161) or an audio signal output through the speaker of the cooking appliance (1).

[0102] In operation (1020), the controller (60) may turn off the output. For example, the controller (60) may turn off the output of the induction coil (10) in response to providing the above notification.

[0103] Fig. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0104] Referring to FIG. 11, along with FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, in operation (1120), the controller (60) may determine whether to maintain the output. For example, the controller (60) may determine whether to maintain the output of the induction coil (10) based on a user input to the panel (160). Optionally, the controller (60) may provide a notification via the display (161) or the speaker to induce the user input by asking whether to maintain the output.

[0105] In operation (1120), if the controller (60) determines to maintain the output (operation 1120: Yes), operation (950) may be performed, otherwise (operation 1120: No), operation (1130) may be performed.

[0106] In operation (1130), the controller (60) may turn off the output. For example, in response to determining to maintain the output in operation (1120), the controller (60) may turn off the output of the induction coil (10).

[0107] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cooking device according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 12, an external electronic device (1200) (e.g., a user's mobile device) capable of communicating with a cooking device (1) and a server (1205) may be provided. The external electronic device (1200) may transmit menu type selection information to the server (1205) (1210). Thereafter, the server (1205) may transmit the menu type selection information transmitted from the external electronic device (1200) to the cooking device (1). The cooking device (1) may set up a boiling detection function based on the received menu type selection information. For example, the cooking device (1) may set up a boiling detection function according to the contents (e.g., water, soup, or broth) in the cooking utensil (25) based on the received menu type selection information.

[0108] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment. Referring to FIG. 13, along with FIGS. 1 and 3, the controller (60) can detect overflow. For example, the controller (60) can detect that the contents within the cooking appliance (25) have overflowed onto the top plate (15) using the value acquired by the sensor (20).

[0109] In operation (1350), the controller (60) can turn off the output. For example, the controller (60) can turn off the output of the induction coil (10) when it detects the boiling over.

[0110] Figure 14 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0111] Referring to FIG. 14, along with FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, in operation (1405), the controller (60) may operate in a simmering mode. The simmering mode may be a mode for maintaining a state in which the liquid within the cooking device (25) does not completely boil but only small bubbles are generated.

[0112] In operation (1410), the controller (60) can set an output. For example, in operation (1410), the controller (60) can set an output of the induction coil (10) based on a user input received through the panel (160).

[0113] In operation (1415), the controller (60) can start heating. For example, the controller (60) can control the induction coil (10) to operate at the set output.

[0114] In operation (1420), the controller (60) can detect an increase in vibration. For example, the controller (60) can detect an increase in vibration of the top plate (15) using the sensor (20).

[0115] In operation (1425), the controller (60) may lower the output. For example, the controller (60) may lower the output of the induction coil (10) in response to detecting an increase in the vibration.

[0116] In operation (1430), the controller (60) can determine whether the vibration level is maintained. For example, the controller (60) can detect whether the vibration of the top plate (15) is maintained within a specified range using the sensor (20), and can make a determination based on the detection result. If the controller (60) determines in operation (1430) that the vibration level is maintained (operation 1430: Yes), operation (1435) can be performed, and if not (operation 1430: No), operation (1440) can be performed.

[0117] In operation (1435), the controller (60) can maintain the output. For example, the controller (60) can maintain the output of the induction coil (10).

[0118] In operation (1440), the controller (60) can determine whether the vibration level has been reduced. For example, the controller (60) can detect whether the vibration of the top plate (15) has been reduced by a specified amount or more using the sensor (20), and can make a determination based on the detection result. If the controller (60) determines in operation (1440) that the vibration level has been reduced (operation 1440: Yes), operation (1445) can be performed, and if not (operation 1440: No), operation (1425) can be performed.

[0119] In operation (1445), the controller (60) can determine whether the temperature has increased. For example, the controller (60) can use the temperature sensor to detect whether the temperature of the top plate (15) (or the heating zone where the cooking utensil is placed) has increased. Based on the detection result, the controller (60) can determine whether the temperature has increased.

[0120] If the controller (60) determines in operation (1445) that the temperature is increasing (operation 1445: Yes), operation (1425) may be performed, otherwise (operation 1440: No), operation (1450) may be performed.

[0121] In operation (1450), the controller (60) may increase the output. For example, the controller (60) may increase the output of the induction coil (10) in response to detecting an increase in temperature. After performing operation (1450), the controller (60) may perform operation (1420).

[0122] In one embodiment, a cooking appliance (e.g., a cooking appliance (1) of FIG. 1) may include a hob (e.g., the hob (15) of FIG. 1) including a heating zone (e.g., heating zones (151, 152, 153) of FIG. 1), an induction coil (e.g., the induction coil (10) of FIG. 3) aligned with respect to the heating zone, an acceleration sensor (e.g., the sensor (20) of FIG. 3) coupled to the hob, a computation unit (e.g., the computation unit (30) of FIG. 3) for processing sensing data detected by the acceleration sensor, and a processor (e.g., the controller (60) of FIG. 3) for controlling the induction coil, the acceleration sensor, and the computation unit. The processor may be configured to detect a vibration level of the top plate by the acceleration sensor while the induction coil heats a cooking utensil (e.g., a cooking utensil (25) of FIG. 3) on the heating zone, and to obtain data associated with a frequency spectrum of the detected vibration level by the calculator. The processor may be configured to determine at least one reference value for a specific frequency spectrum based on the obtained data. The processor may be configured to evaluate the data associated with the acquired frequency spectrum after determining the at least one reference value based on the determined at least one reference value. The processor may be configured to identify boiling of a material within the cooking utensil based on the evaluation. The processor may be configured to control the induction coil based on the identification.

[0123] In one embodiment, the processor may be configured to monitor whether data associated with the acquired frequency spectrum satisfies a specified condition.

[0124] In one embodiment, the at least one reference value for the particular frequency spectrum may include a first reference value. The processor may be configured to determine data associated with a frequency spectrum satisfying the specified condition as the first reference value.

[0125] In one embodiment, the specified condition may be a first specified condition, and the at least one reference value may include a second reference value different from the first reference value. The processor may be configured to monitor whether data associated with a frequency spectrum acquired after determining the first reference value satisfies a second specified condition. The processor may be configured to determine data associated with a frequency spectrum satisfying the second specified condition as the second reference value.

[0126] In one embodiment, the processor may be configured to monitor whether data associated with a frequency spectrum acquired after determining the second reference value satisfies a third specified condition based at least on the first reference value and the second reference value.

[0127] According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance may include a temperature sensor. The processor may be configured to detect the temperature of the cooking surface by the temperature sensor after determining the second reference value. The third specified condition may be based on the first reference value, the second reference value, and the temperature of the cooking surface.

[0128] In one embodiment, the processor may be configured to identify boiling of a substance within the cooking appliance in response to detecting that data associated with the acquired frequency spectrum satisfies the third specified condition.

[0129] In one embodiment, the processor may be configured to reduce the output of the induction coil in response to identifying boiling of a material within the cooking appliance.

[0130] In one embodiment, the processor may be configured to, in response to identifying boiling of a material within the cooking appliance, reduce the output of the induction coil after a specified period of time.

[0131] In one embodiment, the heating zone may include a plurality of heating zones (e.g., heating zones (151, 152, 153) of FIG. 1) arranged along the periphery of an area on the top plate. The acceleration sensor may be configured to detect acceleration for the area of ​​the top plate or a point within the area.

[0132] According to one embodiment, a method for controlling a cooking appliance (e.g., a cooking appliance (1) of FIG. 1) may include an operation of heating a cooking appliance (e.g., a cooking appliance (25) of FIG. 3) on a top plate (e.g., a top plate (15) of FIG. 3) through an induction coil (e.g., an induction coil (10) of FIG. 3), an operation of acquiring data associated with a frequency spectrum of a vibration level of the top plate while heating the cooking appliance, an operation of determining at least one reference value for a specific frequency spectrum based on the acquired data, an operation of evaluating data associated with the acquired frequency spectrum after determining the at least one reference value based on the determined at least one reference value, an operation of identifying boiling of a substance in the cooking appliance based on the evaluation, and an operation of controlling the induction coil based on the identification.

[0133] The control method according to one embodiment may include an operation of monitoring whether data associated with the acquired frequency spectrum satisfies a specified condition.

[0134] In one embodiment, the at least one reference value for the specific frequency spectrum may include a first reference value. The control method may include an operation of determining data associated with a frequency spectrum satisfying the specified condition as the first reference value.

[0135] In one embodiment, the specified condition may be a first specified condition. The at least one reference value may include a second reference value different from the first reference value. The control method may include an operation of monitoring whether data associated with a frequency spectrum acquired after determining the first reference value satisfies a second specified condition, and an operation of determining data associated with a frequency spectrum satisfying the second specified condition as the second reference value.

[0136] The control method according to one embodiment may include an operation of monitoring whether data associated with a frequency spectrum acquired after determining the second reference value satisfies a third specified condition based at least on the first reference value and the second reference value.

[0137] The control method according to one embodiment may include an operation of detecting the temperature of the upper plate by a temperature sensor after determining the second reference value. The third specified condition may be based on the first reference value, the second reference value, and the temperature of the upper plate.

[0138] The control method according to one embodiment may include an operation of identifying boiling of a substance within the cooking appliance in response to detecting that data associated with the acquired frequency spectrum satisfies the third specified condition.

[0139] In one embodiment, the cooking device may include an action of reducing the output of the induction coil in response to identifying boiling of a substance within the cooking device.

[0140] The control method according to one embodiment may include an action of reducing the output of the induction coil after a specified period of time in response to identifying boiling of a substance within the cooking appliance.

[0141] The control method according to one embodiment may include an action of detecting an impact to the cooking appliance before identifying boiling of a substance within the cooking appliance, and an action of turning off an output of the induction coil in response to detecting the impact.

[0142] FIG. 15 is a drawing illustrating an exemplary configuration of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment. In the following description, reference numerals of other drawings may be referred to.

[0143] Referring to FIG. 15, according to one embodiment, a cooking appliance (1) may include an induction coil (10), a sensor (20), an operator (30), an LDO regulator (40), a voltage level converter (50), a controller (60), and a temperature sensor (150).

[0144] In one embodiment, a temperature sensor (150) may be positioned on the back surface of the top plate (15) to measure the temperature of the bottom of the cooking utensil. For example, the temperature sensor (150) may be located within the coil (10). The temperature sensor (150) may detect the temperature of the heating zone(s) of the top plate (15). The temperature sensor (150) may be electrically connected to the calculator (30) and / or the controller (60). The controller (60) may use the temperature sensor (150) to obtain temperature information. The temperature sensor (150) may include, but is not limited to, a negative temperature coefficient thermistor (NTC) or an infrared sensor, for example.

[0145] In one embodiment, the temperature sensor (150) may include, but is not limited to, a plurality of temperature sensors configured to detect a temperature for each of the heating zones (e.g., heating zones (151, 152, 153) of FIG. 1A). For example, the plurality of temperature sensors may be positioned in a designated arrangement for one heating zone (155), as shown in FIG. 1B, or, for another example, the temperature sensor (150) may include only one temperature sensor.

[0146] Although not shown, the cooking appliance (1) may include a timer (e.g., a timer module or a timer circuit) for measuring the heating time of the cooking appliance (25). The timer may be, for example, but not limited to, included or integrated into the controller (60). The controller (60) may obtain information about the heating time of the cooking appliance (25) using the timer. In addition, the controller (60) may obtain information about the timing at which an event occurred (e.g., the timing at which boiling was detected) while the timer is operating (e.g., while heating the cooking appliance (25).

[0147] In one embodiment, the controller (60) can heat a cooking utensil (25) on a top plate (15) via an induction coil (10). While heating the cooking utensil (25), the controller (60) can detect the temperature using a temperature sensor (150). For example, the controller (60) can detect the temperature of a heating zone of the top plate (15) corresponding to the cooking utensil (25) being heated.

[0148] The controller (60) can detect the boiling of the material inside the cooking utensil (25) using the sensor (20) while heating the cooking utensil (25). Since boiling detection uses vibration data of the top plate (15) using the sensor (20), high-power heating conditions may be necessary to obtain the vibration size of bubbles generated inside the cooking utensil (25). However, when a soup or broth mixed with dried ingredients is heated at high power in a short period of time, the appearance of bubbles may vary depending on the occurrence of local boiling, the location or shape of the initial dried ingredients, and the viscosity of the broth, making it difficult to detect boiling. In particular, when the soup or broth is refrigerated for a long period of time or stored outdoors in the winter, the dried ingredients may clump together and settle on the bottom of the container, or may deform into a jelly-like shape (e.g., bone broth). When this is heated at high power in a short period of time, the vibration size of the bubbles becomes small, so that the vibration value required for boiling detection is not satisfied, and boiling may not be detected, or boiling may be detected in advance only by the boiling of a partially dissolved liquid. Due to this lack or misdetection of boiling, the material inside the cooking device (25) may be underheated, which may cause user discomfort. Furthermore, due to this lack or misdetection of boiling, the cooking device (25) may be overheated, causing the contents to boil over. This can lead to energy waste and safety hazards.

[0149] To prevent this, the controller (60) can detect the timing and temperature at which the boiling is detected. The controller (60) can change the heating level of the cooking appliance (25) based on the timing or temperature at which the boiling is detected. For example, the controller (60) can control the induction coil (10) so that the heating level of the cooking appliance (25) is changed based on the timing or temperature at which the boiling is detected.

[0150] Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19 are graphs showing the temperature according to the heating time of the cooking utensil. The temperatures shown in Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19 may be the temperature of the top plate (15) detected using a temperature sensor (150). For example, the temperatures shown in Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19 may correspond to the temperature of the bottom of the cooking utensil (25) or a material within the cooking utensil (25).

[0151] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 16 to 19, the operation of the controller (60) controlling the heating level according to the timing or temperature at which boiling is detected will be described.

[0152] Referring to FIG. 16, the controller (60) can heat the cooking utensil (25) to a first level (31) for a first period (11) after the initial heating starts. The first level (31) of the first period (11) may be level 5 among levels 0 to 9, but is not limited thereto. By heating the cooking utensil (25) to the first level (31) for the first period (11), the gel-like contents can be completely dissolved, the solid contents can be evenly dispersed within the cooking utensil (25) through the convection of the liquid, and time can be secured until thermal equilibrium is achieved between the bottom (or top plate (15)) of the cooking utensil (25) and the substances within the cooking utensil (25). Accordingly, the influence of the difference between the position and shape of the scum, the viscosity of the broth, and the temperature of the top plate (15) measured by the temperature sensor (150) and the actual temperature of the material inside the cooking utensil (25) on the detection of boiling can be reduced.

[0153] The end of the first period (11) can be determined by time or temperature. For example, the controller (60) can change the heating level from the first level (31) to the second level (32) when the heating time reaches the first timing (T1) or the temperature reaches the first temperature (K1) after the initial heating start. Although the graph illustrated in Fig. 16 satisfies both the first timing (T1) and the first temperature (K1), the present invention is not limited thereto, and the heating level can be changed when either the first timing (T1) or the first temperature (K1) is reached.

[0154] The first timing (T1) may be a predefined value according to a recipe selected by the user. For example, the first timing (T-1) may be a value set so that the temperature of the contents is about 30 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius depending on a specific serving (e.g., 1 serving or 2 servings), but is not limited thereto. The first temperature (K1) may be determined according to an initial temperature detected by a temperature sensor (150) when heating starts. For example, when the initial temperature is room temperature (e.g., about 25 degrees Celsius), the first temperature (K1) may be a value between about 40 degrees Celsius and 50 degrees Celsius, and when the initial temperature is lower than room temperature (e.g., about 5 degrees Celsius), the first temperature (K1) may be a value between about 30 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius, but is not limited thereto. The first temperature (K1) can be corrected according to the temperature detected in real time during the first period (11), taking into account the temperature difference between the temperature of the top plate (15) and the bottom of the cooking utensil (25).

[0155] The controller (60) can heat the cooking utensil to a second level (32) during a second period (12) following the first period (11). The second level (32) may be different from the first level (31). For example, the second level (32) of the second period (12) may be a higher level than the first level (31) of the first period (11).

[0156] The controller (60) can detect boiling during the second period (12). For example, the controller (60) can detect the boiling during the second period (12). For example, the controller (60) can detect the boiling during the second period (12). b1 ) and temperature (K b1 ) can detect boiling. In response to the detection of boiling, the controller (60) can change the heating level in the third period (13). The heating level in the third period (13) can vary depending on the timing or temperature at which boiling is detected.

[0157] For example, referring to FIG. 16, the timing between the second timing (T2) and the third timing (T3) (e.g., timing (T b1 )) or at a temperature between the second temperature (K2) and the third temperature (K3), e.g., at temperature (K b1 )) If boiling is detected, the controller (60) can heat the cooking utensil (25) to a third level (33), which is different from the second level (32). In the graph of Fig. 16, the temperature (K) at which boiling is detected b1 ) and timing (T b1 ) are shown as satisfying all of the conditions, but are not limited thereto, and when either the temperature condition or the timing condition is satisfied, the heating level may be changed from the second level (32) to the third level (33). The third level (33) may be lower than the second level (32) and / or the same as the first level. The second temperature (K2) may be, for example, about 70 degrees Celsius, and the third temperature (K3) may be, for example, about 90 degrees Celsius, but is not limited thereto. The second timing (T2) and the third timing (T3) may be preset values ​​according to the selected recipe so that the material within the cooking utensil (25) has a temperature of about 70 degrees Celsius to 90 degrees Celsius.

[0158] For example, referring to FIG. 17, the timing between the first timing (T1) and the second timing (T2) (e.g., T b2 )) boiling is detected or at the first temperature (K-1 ) and a second temperature (K2) (e.g., temperature (K b2 )) If boiling is detected, the controller (60) can heat the cooking utensil (25) to a fourth level (34), which is different from the second level (32). In the graph of Fig. 17, the temperature (K) at which boiling is detected b2 ) and timing (T b2 ) are shown to satisfy all of the conditions, but are not limited thereto, and if either the temperature condition or the timing condition is satisfied, the heating level may be changed from the second level (32) to the fourth level (34). The fourth level (34) may be lower than the second level (32) and higher than the first level (31). The fourth level (34) may be higher than the third level (33).

[0159] For example, referring to FIG. 18, depending on the characteristics of the slurry (e.g., slurry of a wide shape such as seaweed), boiling detection may be difficult. In such a case, the cooking device (1) can compensate for the inability to detect boiling by using temperature and timing conditions. For example, if boiling is not detected until the third timing (T3) and the third temperature (K3) are reached, the controller (60) can heat the cooking device (25) at a fifth level (35), which is different from the second level (32), in the third period (13). For example, at a timing after the third timing (T3), e.g., T b3 )) and temperatures exceeding the third temperature (K3) (e.g. temperature (K b3 )) boiling may be detected or, unlike in the city, boiling may not be detected until heating is complete. In such a case, the controller (60) may heat the cooking utensil (25) to a fifth level (35), which is different from the second level (32), in the third period (13). The fifth level (35) may be lower than the second level (32) and / or equal to the first level (31).

[0160] For example, referring to FIG. 19, boiling can be detected before the termination condition (e.g., the first timing (T1) or the first temperature (K1)) of the first period (11) is met. For example, a timing prior to the first timing (T1) (e.g., the timing (T b4 )) or at a temperature below the first temperature (K1) (e.g., temperature (K b4 )) boiling can be detected. If there is an excessive amount of edible powder or solid matter contained within the cooking utensil (25), or if there is a substance within the cooking utensil (25) that has high viscosity, or if there is a substance that generates continuous shock or vibration by heating, boiling may be falsely detected before it actually boils. In such a case, the controller (60) may heat the cooking utensil (25) to a sixth level (36) that is different from the first level (31) in the third period (13). The sixth level (36) may be greater than the first level (31). The sixth level (36) may be the same as the fourth level (34) of the third period (13) of FIG. 17, but is not limited thereto.

[0161] Referring to FIGS. 16, 17, 18, and 19, the end of the third period (13) can be determined based on temperature or timing. For example, the controller (60) may determine the critical temperature (K C ) or critical timing (T C ) is reached, heating can be stopped or the heating level can be changed to the minimum level. Accordingly, safety accidents that may occur while continuing to heat the cooking utensil (25) without detecting boiling can be prevented. Critical temperature (K C ) can be, for example, about 100 degrees Celsius. Critical timing (T C ) may be a preset value according to the selected recipe so that the material inside the cooking utensil (25) approaches about 100 degrees Celsius.

[0162] FIGS. 20, 21, 22, and 23 are flowcharts illustrating the operation of a cooking appliance for controlling a fire power level according to one embodiment.

[0163] Referring to FIG. 20, in operation 2010, the controller (60) can heat to a first level (31). For example, the controller (60) can control the induction coil (10) so that the cooking utensil (25) on the top plate (15) is heated to the first level (31).

[0164] In operation 2020, the controller (60) can identify whether boiling was detected before the first timing (T1) or at a temperature below the first temperature (K1). If in operation 2020, it is identified that boiling was detected before the first timing (T1) or at a temperature below the first temperature (K1) (operation 2020: Yes), operation 2030 can be performed, otherwise (operation 2020: No), operation 2050 can be performed.

[0165] In operation 2030, the controller (60) can heat to the sixth level (36). For example, the controller (60) can control the induction coil (10) so that the cooking utensil (25) on the top plate (15) is heated to the sixth level (36).

[0166] At operation 2040, the controller (60) determines that the heating time is a critical timing (T C ) or the temperature reaches the critical temperature (K C ) can be identified. In operation 2040, the heating time is determined by the critical timing (T C ) or the temperature reaches the critical temperature (K C ) is identified as having reached the critical timing (T ) (operation 2040: Yes), the controller (60) may terminate heating. For example, in operation 2040, the heating time is determined to be at the critical timing (T C ) or the temperature reaches the critical temperature (K C) is identified to have reached the critical timing (T ), the power of the induction coil (10) may be turned off. Alternatively, in operation 2040, the heating time may be turned off at the critical timing (T C ) or the temperature reaches the critical temperature (K C ) is identified as having reached the critical timing (T ), the controller (60) may heat the cooking utensil (25) to a minimum level. In operation 2040, the critical timing (T C ) and critical temperature (K C ) is not reached (action 2040: No), the controller (60) may perform action 2030. For example, the controller (60) may perform the critical timing (T C ) and critical temperature (K C ) is not reached, the heating level of the cooking appliance (25) can be maintained at the sixth level (36).

[0167] At operation 2050, the controller (60) sets the heating time to the first timing (T -1 ) or whether the temperature has reached the first temperature (K1). In operation 2050, the heating time is the first timing (T -1 ) or if it is identified that the temperature has reached the first temperature (K1) (Operation 2050: Yes), then operation 2110 may be performed, otherwise (Operation 2050: No), then operation 2010 may be performed.

[0168] Referring to FIG. 21, in operation 2110, the controller (60) can heat to a second level (32). For example, the controller (60) can control the induction coil (10) so that the cooking utensil (25) on the top plate (15) is heated to the second level (32).

[0169] In operation 2120, the controller (60) can identify whether boiling is detected at a timing greater than or equal to the first timing (T1) and less than or equal to the second timing (T2) or at a temperature greater than or equal to the first temperature (K1) and less than or equal to the second temperature (K2). In operation 2120, the timing greater than or equal to the first timing (T1) and less than or equal to the second timing (T2) (e.g., the timing (T) of FIG. 17) b2 )) or a temperature greater than or equal to the first temperature (K1) and less than or equal to the second temperature (K2) (e.g., the temperature (K) of Fig. 17 b2 )) If boiling is detected (action 2120: Yes), action 2130 may be performed, otherwise (action 2120: No), action 2150 may be performed.

[0170] In operation 2130, the controller (60) can heat to the fourth level (34). For example, the controller (60) can control the induction coil (10) so that the cooking utensil (25) on the top plate (15) is heated to the fourth level (34).

[0171] At operation 2140, the controller (60) determines that the heating time is a critical timing (T C ) or the temperature reaches the critical temperature (K C ) can be identified. In operation 2140, the heating time is determined by the critical timing (T C ) or the temperature reaches the critical temperature (K C ) is identified as having reached the critical timing (T ) (operation 2140: Yes), the controller (60) may terminate heating. For example, in operation 2140, the heating time is determined to be at the critical timing (T C ) or the temperature reaches the critical temperature (K C ) is identified to have reached the critical timing (T ), the power of the induction coil (10) may be turned off. Alternatively, in operation 2140, the heating time may be turned off at the critical timing (T C ) or the temperature reaches the critical temperature (K C) is identified as having reached the critical timing (T ), the controller (60) may heat the cooking utensil (25) to a minimum level. In operation 2140, the critical timing (T C ) and critical temperature (K C ) is not reached (action 2140: No), the controller (60) may perform action 2130. For example, the controller (60) may perform the critical timing (T C ) and critical temperature (K C ) is not reached, the heating level of the cooking appliance (25) can be maintained at the fourth level (34).

[0172] At operation 2150, the controller (60) sets the heating time to the second timing (T -2 ) or whether the temperature has reached the second temperature (K2). In operation 2150, the heating time is determined at the second timing (T -2 ) or if it is identified that the temperature has reached the second temperature (K2) (operation 2150: Yes), operation 2210 may be performed, otherwise (operation 2150: No), operation 2110 may be performed.

[0173] Referring to FIG. 22, in operation 2210, the controller (60) can heat to a second level (32). For example, the controller (60) can control the induction coil (10) so that the cooking utensil (25) on the top plate (15) is heated to the second level (32).

[0174] In operation 2220, the controller (60) can identify whether boiling is detected at a timing greater than or equal to the second timing (T2) and less than or equal to the third timing (T3) or at a temperature greater than or equal to the second temperature (K2) and less than or equal to the third temperature (K3). In operation 2220, the timing greater than or equal to the second timing (T2) and less than or equal to the third timing (T3) (e.g., the timing (T) of FIG. 16) b1 )) or a temperature higher than the second temperature (K2) and lower than the third temperature (K3) (e.g., the temperature (K) of Fig. 16 b1)) If boiling is detected (action 2220: Yes), action 2230 may be performed, otherwise (action 2220: No), action 2250 may be performed.

[0175] In operation 2230, the controller (60) can heat to a third level (33). For example, the controller (60) can control the induction coil (10) so that the cooking utensil (25) on the top plate (15) is heated to the third level (33).

[0176] At operation 2240, the controller (60) determines that the heating time is a critical timing (T C ) or the temperature reaches the critical temperature (K C ) can be identified. In operation 2240, the heating time is determined by the critical timing (T C ) or the temperature reaches the critical temperature (K C ) is identified as having reached the critical timing (T ) (operation 2240: Yes), the controller (60) may terminate heating. For example, in operation 2240, the heating time may be determined to be at the critical timing (T C ) or the temperature reaches the critical temperature (K C ) is identified to have reached the critical timing (T ), the power of the induction coil (10) may be turned off. Alternatively, in operation 2240, the heating time may be turned off at the critical timing (T C ) or the temperature reaches the critical temperature (K C ) is identified as having reached the critical timing (T ), the controller (60) may heat the cooking utensil (25) to a minimum level. In operation 2240, the critical timing (T C ) and critical temperature (K C ) is not reached (action 2240: No), the controller (60) may perform action 2230. For example, the controller (60) may perform the critical timing (T C ) and critical temperature (K C ) is not reached, the heating level of the cooking appliance (25) can be maintained at the third level (33).

[0177] At operation 2250, the controller (60) sets the heating time to the third timing (T -3 ) or whether the temperature has reached the third temperature (K3). In operation 2250, if it is determined that the heating time has reached the third timing (T3) or the temperature has reached the third temperature (K3) (operation 2250: Yes), operation 2310 may be performed, and if not (operation 2250: No), operation 2210 may be performed.

[0178] Referring to FIG. 23, in operation 2310, the controller (60) can heat to a fifth level (35). For example, the controller (60) can control the induction coil (10) so that the cooking utensil (25) on the top plate (15) is heated to the fifth level (35).

[0179] At operation 2320, the controller (60) determines that the heating time is a critical timing (T C ) or the temperature reaches the critical temperature (K C ) can be identified. In operation 2320, the heating time is determined by the critical timing (T C ) or the temperature reaches the critical temperature (K C ) is identified as having reached the critical timing (T ) (operation 2320: Yes), the controller (60) may terminate heating. For example, in operation 2320, the heating time is determined to be at the critical timing (T C ) or the temperature reaches the critical temperature (K C ) is identified to have reached the critical timing (T ), the power of the induction coil (10) may be turned off. Alternatively, in operation 2320, the heating time may be turned off at the critical timing (T C ) or the temperature reaches the critical temperature (K C ) is identified as having reached the critical timing (T ), the controller (60) may heat the cooking utensil (25) to a minimum level. In operation 2320, the critical timing (T C ) and critical temperature (KC ) is not reached (action 2320: No), the controller (60) may perform action 2310. For example, the controller (60) may perform the critical timing (T C ) and critical temperature (K C ) is not reached, the heating level of the cooking appliance (25) can be maintained at the fifth level (35).

[0180] FIGS. 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, and 24e are drawings showing panels of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment.

[0181] Referring to FIG. 24A, the panel (160) may include a display (161). The display (161) may display an object indicating a currently selected menu, such as 'Water boiling detection', and an object guiding the function of a button, such as 'Press < > to navigate'. The activated menu may be changed through an input of the button (2401) of the panel (160).

[0182] Referring to Fig. 24b, a changed menu such as 'Heating the soup / tang' may be displayed on the display (161) according to the operation of the button (2401). When the 'Heating the soup / tang' menu is activated and an input of a button (2402), such as a confirmation button, is received, the cooking device (1) may start heating the cooking utensil (25). For example, the cooking device (1) may perform operation 2010 of Fig. 20.

[0183] Thereafter, referring to FIG. 24c, the display (161) may display an object indicating the current operating status, such as 'cooking', and an icon (2403) indicating that cooking is currently in progress.

[0184] Hereafter, referring to FIG. 24d, an object guiding the control of the firepower, such as 'Control the firepower so that the cooking liquid does not boil over', may be displayed on the display (161). Such an object may be provided when the firepower level is changed, for example, as in operation 2030 of FIG. 20, operation 2110, operation 2130 of FIG. 21, operation 2230 of FIG. 22, or operation 2310 of FIG. 23.

[0185] Thereafter, referring to FIG. 24e, an object guiding the end of heating, such as 'End of heating the soup / tang', may be displayed on the display (161). Such an object may be provided, for example, when the operations of FIGS. 20 to 23 are terminated.

[0186] According to one embodiment, a cooking appliance (1) may include a top plate (15) including a heating zone, an induction coil (10) aligned with respect to the heating zone, at least one sensor, a memory including at least one storage medium storing instructions, and a processor (60) including a processing circuit. The instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (60), may cause the cooking appliance (1) to heat a cooking utensil (25) on the heating zone of the top plate (15) via the induction coil (10). The instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (60), may cause the cooking appliance (1) to detect, using the at least one sensor, boiling of a substance within the cooking utensil (25) and a temperature of the heating zone of the top plate (15) while heating the cooking utensil (25). The above instructions, when executed individually or collectively by the processor (60), may cause the cooking device (1) to change the heating level of the cooking utensil (25) based on the timing at which boiling is detected or the temperature detected at the timing.

[0187] In one embodiment, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (60), may cause the cooking appliance (1) to heat the cooking utensil (25) to a first level (e.g., a first level (31)) via the induction coil (10). The instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (60), may cause the cooking appliance (1) to heat the cooking utensil (25) to a second level (e.g., a second level (32)) different from the first level, based on identifying that, while heating to the first level, the heating time of the cooking utensil (25) reaches a first timing (T1) or the temperature of the heating zone reaches a first temperature (K1).

[0188] In one embodiment, the second level may be greater than the first level.

[0189] In one embodiment, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (60), may cause the cooking appliance (1) to heat the cooking appliance (25) to a third level (e.g., a sixth level (36)) different from the first level, based on detecting boiling prior to the first timing (T1) or detecting boiling at a temperature below the first temperature (K1) while heating the cooking appliance (25) to the first level.

[0190] In one embodiment, the third level may be greater than the first level and less than the second level.

[0191] In one embodiment, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (60), may cause the cooking appliance (25) to heat the cooking appliance (25) to a fourth level (e.g., a fourth level (34)) different from the second level, based on detecting boiling between the first timing (T1) and a second timing (T2) that is after the first timing (T1) while heating to the second level, or detecting boiling at a temperature greater than or equal to the first temperature (K1) and less than the second temperature (K2).

[0192] In one embodiment, the fourth level may be less than the second level and / or equal to the third level.

[0193] In one embodiment, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (60), may cause the cooking appliance (1) to heat the cooking appliance (25) to a fifth level (e.g., a second level (32)) based on identifying that the heating time of the cooking appliance (25) reaches the second timing (T2) or the temperature of the heating zone reaches the second temperature (K2) while heating to the second level, without detecting boiling.

[0194] In one embodiment, the fifth level may be identical to the second level.

[0195] In one embodiment, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (60), may cause the cooking appliance (25) to heat the cooking device (25) to a sixth level (e.g., a third level (33)) different from the fifth level, based on detecting boiling between the second timing (T2) and a third timing (T3) that is after the second timing (T2) while heating to the fifth level, or detecting boiling at a temperature greater than or equal to the second temperature (K2) and less than the third temperature (K3).

[0196] In one embodiment, the sixth level may be less than the fifth level and / or equal to the first level.

[0197] In one embodiment, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (60), may cause the cooking appliance (1) to heat the cooking appliance (25) to a seventh level (e.g., a fifth level (35)) different from the fifth level, based on identifying that the time for which the cooking appliance (25) was heated reaches the third timing (T3) or the temperature of the heating zone reaches the third temperature (K3) while heating to the fifth level, without detecting boiling.

[0198] In one embodiment, the seventh level may be less than the fifth level and / or equal to the sixth level.

[0199] In one embodiment, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (60), cause the cooking device (1) to heat the cooking utensil (25) for a critical time (T C ) or the temperature detected using at least one sensor reaches the critical temperature (K C), the heating level of the cooking appliance (25) may be changed to a level lower than the first level or the heating of the cooking appliance (25) may be stopped.

[0200] According to one embodiment, a method for controlling a cooking appliance (1) may include an operation of heating a cooking utensil (25) on a top plate (15) through an induction coil (10) under the top plate (15), an operation of detecting boiling of a substance in the cooking utensil (25) using an acceleration sensor while heating the cooking utensil (25) and detecting a temperature corresponding to the substance in the cooking utensil (25) using a temperature sensor, and an operation of changing a heating level of the cooking utensil (25) based on a timing at which the boiling is detected or a temperature detected using the temperature sensor at the timing.

[0201] In one embodiment, the method may include an operation of heating the cooking utensil (25) to a second level greater than the first level based on identifying that the heating time of the cooking utensil (25) reaches a first timing (T1) or the temperature detected through the temperature sensor reaches a first temperature (K1) while heating the cooking utensil (25) to the first level through the induction coil (10).

[0202] In one embodiment, the method may include heating the cooking utensil (25) to a third level greater than the first level and less than the second level, based on detecting boiling prior to the first timing (T1) or detecting boiling at a temperature less than the first temperature (K1) while heating the cooking utensil (25) to the first level.

[0203] In one embodiment, the method may include heating the cooking utensil (25) to the third level based on detecting boiling between the first timing (T1) and a second timing (T2) that is after the first timing (T1) while heating to the second level, or detecting boiling at a temperature greater than or equal to the first temperature (K1) and less than the second temperature (K2).

[0204] In one embodiment, the method may include heating the cooking utensil (25) to the first level based on detecting boiling between the second timing (T2) and a third timing (T3) that is after the second timing (T2) while heating to the second level, or identifying that a temperature detected using the temperature sensor has reached a third temperature (K3) greater than the second temperature (K2).

[0205] In one embodiment, the method comprises heating the cooking utensil (25) for a critical time (T C ) or the temperature detected using the temperature sensor reaches the critical temperature (K C ), the operation may include changing the heating level of the cooking appliance (25) to a level lower than the first level or stopping heating of the cooking appliance (25).

[0206] A method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of program commands that can be executed through various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program commands, data files, data structures, etc., alone or in combination. The program commands recorded on the medium may be those specially designed and configured for the present disclosure or may be those known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CDROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program commands, such as ROMs, RAMs, and flash memories. Examples of program commands include not only machine language codes generated by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc.

[0207] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented in the form of a recording medium containing computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, executed by a computer. Computer-readable media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer, and include both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. Furthermore, computer-readable media may include both computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Communication media typically includes computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave, or other transport mechanism, and includes any information delivery media. Furthermore, some embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented as a computer program or computer program product containing computer-executable instructions, such as a computer program that is executed by a computer.

[0208] A device-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, the term "non-transitory storage medium" simply means a tangible device that does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves). This term does not distinguish between cases where data is permanently stored in the storage medium and cases where data is temporarily stored. For example, a "non-transitory storage medium" may include a buffer in which data is temporarily stored.

[0209] According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in the present document may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through an application store or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (e.g., a downloadable app) may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

Claims

1. In cooking equipment, A top plate including a heating zone; Induction coils aligned with respect to the above heating zone; Acceleration sensor coupled to the top plate; A computing unit for processing sensing data detected by the above acceleration sensor; and Including a processor for controlling the above induction coil, the acceleration sensor and the calculator, The above processor, While the induction coil heats the cooking utensil on the heating zone, the vibration level of the top plate is detected by the acceleration sensor, and data related to the frequency spectrum of the detected vibration level is obtained by the calculator. Based on the above acquired data, at least one reference value for a specific frequency spectrum is determined, After determining at least one reference value, data associated with the frequency spectrum obtained is evaluated based on the determined at least one reference value, Based on the above evaluation, identify the boiling of the substance within the cooking utensil, and configured to control the induction coil based on the above identification, Cooking appliances.

2. In claim 1, The above processor, configured to monitor whether data associated with the acquired frequency spectrum satisfies a specified condition; Cooking appliances.

3. In claim 2, wherein said at least one reference value for said particular frequency spectrum comprises a first reference value, The above processor, configured to determine data associated with a frequency spectrum satisfying the above-mentioned specified condition as the first reference value; Cooking appliances.

4. In claim 3, The above specified conditions are the first specified conditions, wherein at least one of the above reference values ​​comprises a second reference value different from the first reference value, The above processor, After determining the first reference value, monitoring whether the data associated with the acquired frequency spectrum satisfies the second specified condition; configured to determine data associated with a frequency spectrum satisfying the second specified condition as the second reference value; Cooking appliances.

5. In claim 4, The above processor, configured to monitor whether data associated with the frequency spectrum acquired after determining the second reference value satisfies a third specified condition based at least on the first reference value and the second reference value; Cooking appliances.

6. In claim 5, Contains a temperature sensor, The above processor, After determining the second reference value, the temperature of the top plate is detected by the temperature sensor, The third specified condition is based on the first reference value, the second reference value, and the temperature of the top plate. Cooking appliances.

7. In claim 6, The processor is configured to identify boiling of a substance within the cooking appliance in response to detecting that the data associated with the acquired frequency spectrum satisfies the third specified condition. Cooking appliances.

8. In claim 7, The above processor, In response to identifying boiling of a substance within said cooking appliance, configured to reduce the output of said induction coil, Cooking appliances.

9. In claim 8, The above processor, In response to identifying boiling of a substance within said cooking appliance, configured to reduce the output of said induction coil after a specified period of time; Cooking appliances.

10. In any one of claims 1 to 9, The above heating zone comprises a plurality of heating zones arranged along the periphery of an area on the top plate, The above acceleration sensor is configured to detect acceleration for the above area of ​​the upper plate or a point within the above area. Cooking appliances.

11. In the method of controlling a cooking appliance, The action of heating the cookware on the top plate through the induction coil; An action of obtaining data associated with a frequency spectrum of vibration levels for said cooking utensil while heating said cooking utensil; An operation of determining at least one reference value for a specific frequency spectrum based on the acquired data; An operation of evaluating data associated with a frequency spectrum acquired after determining at least one reference value based on the determined at least one reference value; Based on the above evaluation, an operation of identifying boiling of a substance within the cooking utensil; and An operation for controlling the induction coil based on the above identification, Control method.

12. In claim 11, An operation for monitoring whether data associated with the acquired frequency spectrum satisfies a specified condition, Control method.

13. In claim 12, wherein said at least one reference value for said particular frequency spectrum comprises a first reference value, The above control method is, An operation for determining data associated with a frequency spectrum satisfying the above-mentioned specified condition as the first reference value, Control method.

14. In claim 13, The above specified conditions are the first specified conditions, wherein at least one of the above reference values ​​comprises a second reference value different from the first reference value, The above control method is, An operation of monitoring whether data associated with a frequency spectrum acquired after determining the first reference value satisfies a second specified condition; and An operation of determining data associated with a frequency spectrum satisfying the second specified condition as the second reference value, Control method.

15. In claim 14, An operation for monitoring whether data associated with a frequency spectrum acquired after determining the second reference value satisfies a third specified condition based at least on the first reference value and the second reference value. Control method.

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