Cooktop Zone Display Layout for Precise Cookware Position Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hobs with large cooking zones struggle to provide comprehensive and intuitive information to users about the position and cooking level of cookware, leading to potential misinterpretations and user confusion.
Innovation Solution
A hob with a display unit featuring a matrix of light-emitting diodes that symbolically represents the cooking zone, allowing precise visualization of cookware position and cooking level, with a control unit that activates only relevant symbol representations based on cookware presence and position, and a touch-sensitive panel for selecting cooking levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a single symbolic representation of the cooking zone is used in the display unit, then the display is simple and compact, but it cannot provide comprehensive information about cookware position when multiple pieces of cookware are placed at different positions
Solution Approach 1:
The display unit is segmented into multiple symbolic representations (first, second, third, etc.), each capable of independently displaying cookware position information. This segmentation allows comprehensive information presentation without requiring a single complex display structure, as each symbolic representation can be activated based on detected cookware positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The display unit dynamically activates only the relevant symbolic representations based on the actual cookware positions detected by the control unit. This dynamic behavior allows the system to provide comprehensive information when needed while maintaining a simple, compact appearance when no or minimal cookware is present, thus resolving the contradiction between information completeness and structural simplicity.
2Loss of information
If multiple symbolic representations are provided in the display unit to show comprehensive cookware position information, then information completeness is improved, but the display unit becomes more complex and larger
Solution Approach 1:
Each symbolic representation is designed with the same compact local structure, but only the necessary ones are activated based on cookware positions. This local quality approach allows multiple representations to be available without permanently occupying excessive display area, as inactive representations remain visually concealed or minimized.
Solution Approach 2:
The display unit uses dynamic activation of symbolic representations based on detected cookware positions. This ensures that while multiple representations are available for comprehensive information display, they only occupy physical space when actually activated, thus minimizing the effective display area while maintaining information completeness capability.
3Loss of information
If all lighting devices in the symbol representation are continuously activated to show complete cooking zone information, then information visibility is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuously activating all lighting devices, the system activates only the partial set of lighting devices corresponding to the actual cookware positions. This partial action approach ensures that sufficient information is visible to users while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous full activation.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit receives feedback from the cookware detection system about actual cookware positions and uses this feedback to selectively activate only the relevant lighting devices in the symbolic representations. This feedback mechanism ensures optimal balance between information visibility and energy consumption by activating lighting only when and where needed.
4Ease of operation
If the display unit provides detailed information about cookware position and cooking level, then user understanding is improved, but the risk of misinterpretation and user confusion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The symbolic representations create simplified visual copies of the actual cooking zone and cookware positions. These symbolic copies maintain the essential spatial relationships and information needed for user understanding while filtering out extraneous details that could cause confusion or misinterpretation, thus providing clarity without sacrificing essential information.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances user understanding by providing clear, intuitive, and precise visual feedback on cookware position and cooking level, reducing misinterpretations and improving user experience while maintaining energy efficiency and compact design.
Implementation Method 1
A display unit (4) is formed on the hob plate (2), which is designed to display information about the position of a piece of cooking utensil (18) on the cooking zone (3). The display unit (4) has a first display field (5), in which a plurality of separate stationary display areas (6-11) are arranged next to one another, and a reduced symbol representation (12) of the entire cooking zone (3) is displayed in each display area (6-11). Each symbol representation (12) can be illuminated by a respective lighting device (14)
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a stove top (1) having a stove top plate (2), on which at least one area-connected cooking zone (3) is formed on which cookware (18) having variable positions can be placed, and a display unit (4) formed on the stove top plate (2) for displaying information on the position of the cookware (18) on the cooking zone (3), wherein the display unit (4) has a first display field (5) in which a plurality of separate display regions (6 to 11) are arranged in a stationary manner one next to another, and, in the display regions (6 to 11), a reduced symbol depiction (12) of the entire cooking zone (3) is displayed and each symbol depiction (12) can be illuminated by a lighting device (14) in at least a plurality of partial areas which are different and/or have differing surface areas. The invention also relates to a method for operating a stove top (1).