Appliance with power setting lock feature

Abstract

A cooking appliance with features for locking a surface heating element of the cooking appliance such that a power level of the heating element cannot be adjusted through unintended inputs by a user of the cooking appliance is provided. A method for operating a cooking appliance with a surface heating element also is provided. More particularly, a method is provided that includes features for locking a surface heating element of the cooking appliance such that a power level of the heating element cannot be adjusted through inadvertent inputs by a user of the cooktop appliance. Further, a method for operating an appliance is provided; the method includes features for locking a functionality of the appliance such that a setting of the functionality cannot be adjusted through unintentional inputs by a user of the appliance.

1 . A method for operating a cooking appliance, the cooking appliance having a plurality of heating elements, the method comprising:
 activating a first heating element of the plurality of heating elements;   detecting a power level input for the first heating element;   operating the first heating element at a power level based on the power level input;   determining whether the first heating element should be locked at the power level when it is determined the first heating element should be locked at the power level:
 locking the first heating element at the power level such that the power level of the first heating element cannot he adjusted, 
 activating a first indicator to indicate to a user of the cooking appliance that the first heating element is locked at the power level and cannot be adjusted by the user, 
 determining whether the power level of the first heating element should be unlocked and when it is determined the first heating element should be unlocked:
 unlocking the first heating element such that the power level of the first heating element can be adjusted, and 
 deactivating the first indicator to indicate to the user of the cooking appliance that the first heating element is unlocked and may be adjusted. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the first heating element should be locked at the power level comprises detecting a first heating element lock input. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first heating element lock input is detected within a first control zone, the first control zone associated with the first heating element. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first indicator is provided within a first control zone, the first control zone associated with the first heating element. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the first heating element should be unlocked comprises detecting a first heating element unlock input. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first heating element unlock input is detected within a first control zone, associated with the first heating element. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein locking the first heating element at the power level further comprises starting to count a time t, and wherein determining whether the first heating element should he unlocked comprises comparing time t to a predetermined lock time interval t lock , to determine if the predetermined lock time interval t lock  has elapsed and, if so, then unlocking the first heating element. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the first heating element should be locked at the power level comprises detecting a first heating element lock input and determining whether the first heating element should be unlocked comprises detecting a first heating element unlock input, and
 wherein the power level input, the first heating element lock input, and the first heating element unlock input are detected within a first control zone, the first control zone associated with the first heating element.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first heating element lock input is a touch input by the user to the first control zone for a predetermined amount of time, and wherein the first heating element unlock input is a touch input by the user to the first control zone for a predetermined amount of time. 
     
     
         10 . A cooking appliance, comprising:
 a cooking panel for supporting a cooking utensil thereon;   a plurality of heating elements disposed adjacent the cooking panel for heating the cooking utensil or food items placed within the cooking utensil;   a user interface assembly including a user interface surface accessible by a user of the cooking appliance, the user interface assembly further including a plurality of control zones, each of the plurality of control zones associated with one of the plurality of heating elements for controlling a power level of the heating element; and   a controller in operative communication with the plurality of heating elements and the plurality of control zones, the controller configured for
 activating a first heating element of the plurality of heating elements; 
 detecting within a first control zone of the plurality of control zones a power level input for the first heating element, the first control zone associated with the first heating element; 
 operating the first heating element at a power level based on the power level input; 
 determining whether the first heating element should be locked at the power level based on a first heat element lock input to the first control zone and when it is determined the first heating element should be locked at the power level:
 locking the first heating element at the power level such that the power level of the first heating element cannot be adjusted, 
 activating a first indicator to indicate to the user that the first heating element is locked at the power level and cannot be adjusted by the user, 
 determining whether the power level of the first heating element should be unlocked based on a first heating element unlock input to the first control zone and when it is determined the first heating element should be unlocked; 
 unlocking the first heating element such that the power level of the first heating element can be adjusted, and deactivating the first indicator. 
 
   
     
     
         11 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The cooking appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured for starting to count a time t when the controller locks the first heating element at the power level, and
 wherein the controller is further configured for determining whether the first heating element should he unlocked by comparing time t to a predetermined lock time interval t lock  to determine if the predetermined lock time interval t lock  has elapsed and, if so, then unlocking the first heating element.   
     
     
         16 . The cooking appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the first control zone includes a path along which the user swipes or taps a finger to select the power level of the first heating element. 
     
     
         17 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the user interface assembly further comprises a plurality of light sources, and wherein at least one of the plurality of light sources is activated to illuminate a length of the path over which the user swipes or taps the finger to indicate the power level input for the first heating element. 
     
     
         18 . The cooking appliance of  claim 17 , wherein the controller activates the first indicator by pulsing or modulating the plurality of light sources to indicate to the user that the first heating element is locked at the power level and cannot be adjusted by the user. 
     
     
         19 . The cooking appliance of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the first heating element lock input is a touch input by the user to the first control zone for a predetermined amount of time, and wherein the first heating element unlock input is a touch input by the user to the first control zone for a predetermined amount of time.   
     
     
         20 . A method for operating an appliance, the appliance having one or more functionalities, the method comprising:
 activating a first functionality of the one or more functionalities;   detecting a setting input for the first functionality;   operating the first functionality at a setting based on the setting input;   determining whether the setting of the first functionality should be locked at the setting when it is determined the first functionality should be locked at the setting:
 locking the first functionality at the setting such that the setting of the first functionality cannot be adjusted, and 
 activating a first indicator to indicate to a user of the appliance that the first functionality is locked at the setting and cannot he adjusted by the user; 
 determining whether the setting of the first functionality should be unlocked and when it is determined the first functionality should be unlocked;
 unlocking the first functionality such that the setting of the first functionality can be adjusted, and 
 deactivating the first indicator to indicate to the user of the appliance that the first functionality is unlocked and may be adjusted. 
 
   
     
     
         21 . The cooking appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured for
 activating a second heating element of the plurality of heating elements;   detecting within a second control zone of the plurality of control zones a power level input for the second heating element, the second control zone associated with the second heating element;   operating the second heating element at a second power level based on the power level input for the second heating element;   determining whether the second heating element should be locked at the second power level based on a second heat element lock input to the second control zone and when it is determined the second heating element should be locked at the second power level:
 locking the second heating element at the second power level such that the power level of the second heating element cannot be adjusted, 
 activating a second indicator to indicate to the user that the second heating element is locked at the second power level and cannot be adjusted by the user, 
 determining whether the power level of the second heating element should be unlocked based on a second heating element unlock input to the second control zone and when it is determined the second heating element should be unlocked:
 unlocking the second heating element such that the power level of the second heating element can be adjusted, and 
 deactivating the second indicator. 
 
   
     
     
         22 . The cooking appliance of  claim 10 , further comprising signaling to the user that the first heating element lock input has been received and signaling to the user that the first heating element unlock input has been received. 
     
     
         23 . The cooking appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured for locking each of the plurality of heating elements independently. 
     
     
         24 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the first heating element is locked independently of the other heating elements of the plurality of heating elements.