Cooking Hob Cookware Detection via Sensor Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hob technologies face inefficiencies in cooking utensil recognition, leading to increased energy consumption and operator intervention, with constant actuation of heating units and unnecessary movement of heating elements, which complicates the detection process and reduces energy efficiency and user comfort.
Innovation Solution
A hob device with a positioning measuring unit using a combination of sensors, including accelerometers and electromagnetic sensors, to detect the placement of cooking utensils on a glass ceramic hob plate, allowing for precise and efficient determination of the utensil's position, reducing energy consumption, and minimizing electromagnetic load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If constant actuation of heating units is used for cookware detection, then detection coverage is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs cookware detection periodically or on-demand rather than continuously. The control unit activates heating units in a sequence only when cookware is detected by the sensor unit, rather than maintaining constant actuation. This periodic operation reduces energy consumption while maintaining reliable detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor unit autonomously detects cookware placement and triggers the detection process without requiring continuous heating unit actuation. The system serves itself by using the sensor unit's detection capability to initiate heating unit activation only when necessary, eliminating the need for constant energy-consuming operations.
2Measurement precision
If multiple heating units are activated for detection, then detection precision is improved, but electromagnetic load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system activates only the specific heating unit or heating units located directly beneath the detected cookware, rather than activating all heating units. This localized activation provides sufficient detection precision for the cookware's position while minimizing the overall electromagnetic load on the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a selective subset of heating units for detection purposes rather than all available heating units. This partial action provides adequate detection precision for cookware positioning while avoiding the excessive electromagnetic load that would result from activating all heating units simultaneously.
3Measurement precision
If heating units are moved for detection, then detection accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces mechanical movement of heating units with electromagnetic detection fields. The heating units remain stationary while their electromagnetic fields are activated selectively to detect cookware position and characteristics. This substitution eliminates complex mechanical movement mechanisms while maintaining or improving detection accuracy through controlled electromagnetic activation.
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
The solution enables accurate and autonomous cooking utensil recognition, reducing energy usage, enhancing user comfort, and improving safety by minimizing unnecessary heating unit actuation and movement, while maintaining high energy efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor unit with two acoustic sensors for detecting a placement position of a cooking utensil
Implementation Method 2
A hob device with a positioning measuring unit using a combination of sensors, including accelerometers and electromagnetic sensors
Implementation Method 3
A hob device with a positioning measuring unit using a combination of sensors, including accelerometers and electromagnetic sensors
Implementation Method 4
one heating element each independently of the others heating elements can be heated
Implementation Method 5
A 'heating unit' is to be understood in particular as a unit which is intended to convert electrical energy into heat. In particular, the heating unit comprises a resistance heating element and/or a radiant heating element and/or preferably an induction heating element, which is intended to convert electrical energy indirectly into heat via eddy currents induced in the cooking utensil
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
The cooking apparatus has cooking plate (10d) with setting unit (12d) and heating unit. The setting unit sets a heating unit (16d) to specific position to heat the dish (14d). A control unit (20d) is arranged below the cooking plate. The control unit controls the setting unit based on the signal received from measurement unit (18d) comprising vibration sensor. An independent claim is included for method for operating cooking apparatus.