Induction Cooktop Pot Detection With Low-Power Compatibility Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional induction heating devices consume high power to determine if a pot is compatible with induction heating and lack the ability to simultaneously measure the object's temperature and type, requiring users to manually select heating regions.
Innovation Solution
An induction heating device equipped with a loaded-object sensor featuring a cylindrical hollow body with a sensing coil and a temperature sensor, allowing for inductive sensing and current sensing to quickly and accurately determine the object's compatibility and temperature, reducing power consumption and eliminating the need for manual heating-region selection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional induction heating devices use high-power current sensing to determine pot compatibility, then the accuracy of determining whether the pot is suitable for induction heating is improved, but the power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the sensing function into two separate sensors: a loaded-object sensor for detecting the presence and type of pot, and a temperature sensor for measuring temperature. This segmentation allows the system to use low-power inductive sensing for compatibility determination while reserving high-power current sensing only when necessary, thus resolving the contradiction between measurement accuracy and power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a loaded-object sensor as an intermediary device that performs preliminary detection of pot compatibility using minimal power. This intermediary sensor filters out incompatible objects before the system activates high-power heating elements, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining accurate compatibility determination.
2Productivity
If conventional induction heating devices lack simultaneous temperature measurement capability, then the device complexity is reduced, but the productivity decreases due to manual heating-region selection and inability to monitor cooking progress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple sensing capabilities (loaded-object detection, temperature measurement, and heating-region identification) into an integrated sensor system. The loaded-object sensor simultaneously provides information about pot presence, material type, and optimal heating regions, while the temperature sensor monitors cooking progress. This merging increases productivity by enabling automated control and real-time monitoring, despite the increased device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The loaded-object sensor is designed with multi-functionality, serving as both a compatibility detector and a heating-region identifier. By making this single sensor perform multiple functions, the system achieves improved productivity without proportionally increasing device complexity, as one sensor component provides diverse information needed for efficient cooking operations.
3Ease of operation
If conventional devices require manual heating-region selection, then the device complexity is minimized, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to additional user steps and potential errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service functionality where the loaded-object sensor automatically detects the pot's characteristics and identifies the optimal heating region without user intervention. The system autonomously determines compatibility and configures heating parameters, thereby significantly improving ease of operation. The increased device complexity is justified by eliminating manual steps and reducing user error potential.
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 device efficiently discriminates the type of loaded object while consuming less power, enabling simultaneous temperature measurement and intuitive user confirmation of inductive heating properties, thereby streamlining the cooking process.
Implementation Method 1
the inductive heating devices may apply a high-frequency power of a predetermined magnitude to a working coil, such as a copper coil, to generate a magnetic field around the working coil, and magnetic induction from the magnetic field may cause an eddy current to be generated in an adjacent pot made of a certain metals so that the pot itself may be heated due to electrical resistance from the eddy current
Implementation Method 2
magnetic induction from the magnetic field may cause an eddy current to be generated in an adjacent pot made of a certain metals so that the pot itself may be heated due to electrical resistance from the eddy current
Implementation Method 3
the pot itself may be heated due to electrical resistance from the eddy current
Implementation Method 4
inductive sensing using the loaded-object sensor
Implementation Method 5
temperature measurement of the loaded object
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to an induction heating device and a method for controlling the same. In accordance with the present disclosure, first, inductive sensing is periodically performed to detect a specific object with inductive heating property. Next, current sensing of the specific object having the inductive heating property is performed to again check whether the specific object has the inductive heating property. Thus, when the user simply places the loaded object on the device, the device may allow the user to quickly and intuitively confirm whether the corresponding loaded object has the inductive heating property.