Method for automatically correlating at least one cooktop utensil with at least one cooking zone of an inductive cooktop, inductive cooktop, cooktop utensil and system for carrying out the method

Abstract

An inductive cooktop includes: at least one cooking zone; at least one heating coil associated with the cooking zone; and a cooktop controller for driving the at least one heating coil in an operating mode of the inductive cooktop to heat a cooktop utensil with a transmitter unit, which cooktop utensil is placed on the cooking zone. The inductive cooktop is operable in a standby mode in which driving of the at least one heating coil is disabled. The inductive cooktop is operable in a ready mode. The inductive cooktop is switchable from the standby mode to the ready mode by a wake-up signal received by a receiver unit of the cooktop controller. In the ready mode, the at least one heating coil is drivable by the cooktop controller such that, on one hand, the cooktop utensil is prevented from being effectively heated for a preparation operation.

1 : An inductive cooktop, comprising:
 at least one cooking zone;   at least one heating coil associated with the cooking zone; and   a cooktop controller configured to drive the at least one heating coil in an operating mode of the inductive cooktop to heat a cooktop utensil with a transmitter unit, which cooktop utensil is placed on the cooking zone,   wherein the cooktop controller is configured such that the inductive cooktop is operable in a standby mode in which driving of the at least one heating coil is disabled,   wherein the cooktop controller is configured such that the inductive cooktop is operable in a ready mode,   wherein the inductive cooktop is switchable from the standby mode to the ready mode by a wake-up signal received by a receiver unit of the cooktop controller,   wherein, in the ready mode, the at least one heating coil is drivable by the cooktop controller such that, on one hand, the cooktop utensil is prevented from being effectively heated for a preparation operation and that, on an other hand, signal transmission between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit is enabled by the at least one heating coil, and   wherein the inductive cooktop is automatically switchable from the ready mode to the operating mode by the cooktop controller and as a function of a response signal, identifying the cooktop utensil, received by the receiver unit in the ready mode.   
     
     
         2 : The inductive cooktop of  claim 1 , wherein in the ready mode, the at least one heating coil is drivable by the cooktop controller such that transmission of an operating power from the inductive cooktop to the cooktop utensil that is placed on the cooking zone associated with the at least one heating coil is enabled by the at least one heating coil. 
     
     
         3 : The inductive cooktop of  claim 1 , wherein the inductive cooktop is configured to implement a method for automatically correlating at least one cooktop utensil with the at least one cooking zone, the at least one cooking zone being one of plurality of cooking zones, which are inductively heated by at least one respective heating coil, the method comprising:
 providing the cooktop with the cooktop controller configured to drive the at least one respective heating coil with a correlation signal;   providing the at least one cooktop utensil with an induction coil inductively couplable with the at least one respective heating coil of the cooktop and a transmitter unit;   supplying the transmitter unit with an operation power when a voltage is induced by at least one of the at least one respective heating coil into the induction coil of the cooktop utensil that is placed on the cooking zone associated with the at least one of the at least one respective heating coil;   transmitting, by the transmitter unit of the cooktop utensil, by the operating power, a response signal that identifies the cooktop utensil and correlates with the correlation signal induced into the induction coil of the cooktop utensil by the at least one of the at least one respective heating coil associated with the cooking zone to a receiver unit of the cooktop controller or of a third device that is in signal communication with the cooktop controller;   comparing the response signal, in an evaluation unit of the cooktop controller or of the third device, which evaluation unit is connected in signal communication with the receiver unit, to the correlation signal of the at least one respective heating coil of the cooking zone; and   correlating the identified cooktop utensil with the cooking zone as a function of the comparison.   
     
     
         4 : The inductive cooktop as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the at least one respective heating coil of the cooking zones of the cooktop is driven successively for purposes of automatic correlation, or the at least one respective heating coil of the cooking zones of the cooktop is driven simultaneously for purposes of automatic correlation. 
     
     
         5 : The inductive cooktop of  claim 3 , wherein the correlation signals of the at least one respective heating coil of the individual cooking zones, which are generated by respective driving operations, differ from each other. 
     
     
         6 : The inductive cooktop of  claim 5 , wherein the correlation signals of the heating coils of the individual cooking zones, which are generated by a driving thereof, each have encoded therein a different delay time, the transmitter unit of the cooktop utensil placed on a particular cooking zone delaying the transmission of the response signal to the receiver unit as a function of the encoded delay time of the heating coil of this cooking zone. 
     
     
         7 : The inductive cooktop of any of  claim 3 , wherein the correlation of the cooktop utensil placed on a particular cooking zone of the plurality of cooking zones with the particular cooking zone is performed in the evaluation unit by way of an overall time lag between a driving of the at least one respective heating coil associated with the particular cooking zone with the correlation signal and a reception by the receiver unit of the response signal of the cooktop utensil placed on the particular cooking zone. 
     
     
         8 : The inductive cooktop of  claim 7 , wherein for every possible pairing of the plurality of cooking zones with the at least one cooktop utensil, an overall time lag is predetermined and stored in a memory that is in signal communication with the cooktop controller or the third device. 
     
     
         9 : The inductive cooktop of  claim 7 , wherein a partial time lag of the overall time lag, which partial time lag is dependent on a cooktop utensil placed on a particular cooking zone of the plurality of cooking zones, is transmitted from the transmitter unit of the cooktop utensil to the receiver unit by the response signal, and the overall time lag is determined in the evaluation unit by way of the partial time lag. 
     
     
         10 : The inductive cooktop of  claim 8 , wherein identification of a particular cooktop utensil of the at least one cooktop utensil is performed by the evaluation unit as a function of the overall time lag for every possible pairing of the plurality of cooking zones with the at least one cooktop utensil, the overall time lag being different for every possible pairing of the plurality of cooking zones with the at least one cooktop utensil. 
     
     
         11 : The inductive cooktop of  claim 3 , wherein the response signal contains additional information on an operating setting of the cooktop utensil and/or an operating parameter of the cooktop utensil and/or an operating state of the cooktop utensil. 
     
     
         12 : The inductive cooktop of  claim 3 , wherein, for purposes of automatic correlation, the at least one respective heating coil of the cooking zones of the cooktop is driven by the cooktop controller as a function of at least one trigger event that is dependent on the cooktop and/or the cooktop utensil and/or the third device. 
     
     
         13 : The inductive cooktop of  claim 12 , wherein the trigger event occurs continuously as a function of at least one predetermined time interval when the cooktop is on, or
 wherein the trigger event occurs as a function of at least one change in a correlation of the at least one cooktop utensil with at least one of the cooking zones of the plurality of cooking zones.   
     
     
         14 : The inductive cooktop of  claim 3 , wherein, in a standby mode of the inductive cooktop, the at least one respective heating coil is not driven by the cooktop controller and, in an operating mode of the inductive cooktop, the at least one respective heating coil is driven to heat a cooktop utensil with the transmitter unit which cooktop utensil is placed on the cooking zone, the inductive cooktop additionally being operated by the cooktop controller in a ready mode, and the inductive cooktop being switched from the standby mode to the ready mode by a wake-up signal received by the receiver unit of the cooktop controller, and, in the ready mode, the at least one respective heating coil being driven by the cooktop controller such that, on one hand, the cooktop utensil is prevented from being effectively heated for a preparation operation and, on an other hand, signal transmission between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit is enabled by the at least one respective heating coil. 
     
     
         15 : The inductive cooktop of  claim 14 , wherein, in the ready mode, the at least one respective heating coil is driven by the cooktop controller such that transmission of an operating power from the inductive cooktop to the cooktop utensil placed on the cooking zone associated with the at least one respective heating coil is enabled by the at least one respective heating coil. 
     
     
         16 : The inductive cooktop of  claim 14 , wherein the wake-up signal is generated by:
 actuation of a control element that is provided on the cooktop utensil and is in signal communication with the transmitter unit, and/or   a motion sensor that is mounted on the cooktop utensil and is in signal communication with the transmitter unit, and/or   actuation of a control element that is provided on the inductive cooktop and is in signal communication with the receiver unit of the cooktop controller, and/or   actuation of a control element that is provided on a third device and is in signal communication with the receiver unit of the cooktop controller.   
     
     
         17 : The inductive cooktop of  claim 14 , wherein an electric power with which the cooktop controller drives the at least one respective heating coil in the ready mode has an average value of less than or equal to 30 W, and/or
 wherein an electric power with which the cooktop controller drives the at least one respective heating coil in the ready mode has a pause/power ratio of greater than or equal to 1000:1.   
     
     
         18 : The inductive cooktop of  claim 14 , wherein the automatic correlation of at least one cooktop utensil with at least one cooking zone of the inductive cooktop having a plurality of cooking zones which are inductively heated by the at least one respective heating coil is performed in the ready mode. 
     
     
         19 : The inductive cooktop of  claim 18 , wherein the inductive cooktop is automatically switched from the ready mode to the operating mode by the cooktop controller and as a function of the response signal received by receiver unit in the ready mode. 
     
     
         20 : The inductive cooktop of  claim 3 , wherein the driving of the at least one respective heating coil is performed as a function of a placement event detected by a sensor or of an underlying surface on which the cooktop utensil has been placed and which is detected by the sensor, and/or
 wherein a processing routine for automatically correlating the cooktop utensil with at least one cooking zone of the inductive cooktop is started as a function of a placement event detected by the sensor or of an underlying surface on which the cooktop utensil has been placed and which is detected by the sensor.   
     
     
         21 : A system, comprising:
 an inductive cooktop, comprising: a plurality of cooking zones inductively heated by at least one respective heating coil, a cooktop controller configured to drive each at least one respective heating coil with a correlation signal, and a receiver unit; and   at least one cooktop utensil, comprising: an induction coil inductively couplable with each at least one respective heating coil of the cooktop, and a transmitter unit,   wherein the transmitter unit is suppliable with an operation power when a voltage is induced into the induction coil by at least one of the at least one respective heating coil upon placement of the at least one cooktop utensil on at least one cooking zone of the plurality of cooking zones associated with the at least one respectively heating coil,   wherein the transmitter unit, when supplied with the operating power, is configured to transmit a response signal that identifies the at least one cooktop utensil and correlates with a correlation signal induced into the induction coil by the at least one of the at least one respective heating coil, and   wherein the response signal is comparable to the correlation signal of the at least one respective heating coil of the at least one cooking zone to generate a comparison, the at least one cooktop utensil being automatically correlatable with the at least one cooking zone as a function of the comparison.   
     
     
         22 : The system of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one cooktop utensil comprises a cookware item, and
 wherein the at least one cooktop utensil has at least one sensor configured to detect a placement event, or configured to detect the placement event and a nature of an underlying surface on which the at least one cooktop utensil has been placed, wherein the cooktop controller is configured to drive the at least one respective heating coil in an operating mode to heat the at least one cooktop utensil when the at least one cooktop utensil is placed on the at least one cooking zone,   wherein the cooktop controller is configured such that the inductive cooktop is operable in a standby mode in which driving of the at least one respective heating coil is disabled,   wherein the cooktop controller is configured such that the inductive cooktop is operable in a ready mode,   wherein the inductive cooktop is switchable from the standby mode to the ready mode by a wake-up signal received by a receiver unit of the cooktop controller, and   wherein, in the ready mode, the at least one respective heating coil is drivable by the cooktop controller such that the at least one cooktop utensil is prevented from being effectively heated for a preparation operation while signal transmission between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit is enabled by the at least one respective heating coil.   
     
     
         23 : The system of  claim 21 , wherein the transmitter unit is configured to transmit the response signal to the cooktop controller or to a third device that is in signal communication with the cooktop controller, and
 wherein the response signal is compared in an evaluation unit of the cooktop controller or of the third device, which evaluation unit is in signal communication with the receiver unit.   
     
     
         24 : The system of  claim 21 , wherein the system is configured to implement a method for automatically correlating the at least one cooktop utensil with the at least one cooking zone, the method comprising:
 providing the cooktop with the cooktop controller configured to drive the at least one respective heating coil with a correlation signal;   providing the at least one cooktop utensil with the induction coil inductively couplable with the at least one respective heating coil of the cooktop and the transmitter unit;   supplying the transmitter unit with an operation power when a voltage is induced by at least one of the at least one respective heating coil into the induction coil of the cooktop utensil that is placed on the cooking zone associated with the at least one of the at least one respective heating coil;   transmitting, by the transmitter unit of the cooktop utensil, by the operating power, a response signal that identifies the cooktop utensil and correlates with the correlation signal induced into the induction coil of the cooktop utensil by the at least one of the at least one respective heating coil associated with the cooking zone to a receiver unit of the cooktop controller or of a third device that is in signal communication with the cooktop controller;   comparing the response signal, in an evaluation unit of the cooktop controller or of the third device, which evaluation unit is connected in signal communication with the receiver unit, to the correlation signal of the at least one respective heating coil of the cooking zone; and   correlating the identified cooktop utensil with the cooking zone as a function of the comparison.   
     
     
         25 : The system as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the at least one respective heating coil of the cooking zones of the cooktop is driven successively for purposes of automatic correlation, or the at least one respective heating coil of the cooking zones of the cooktop is driven simultaneously for purposes of automatic correlation. 
     
     
         26 : The system of  claim 24 , wherein the correlation signals of the at least one respective heating coil of the individual cooking zones, which are generated by respective driving operations, differ from each other. 
     
     
         27 : The system of  claim 26 , wherein the correlation signals of the heating coils of the individual cooking zones, which are generated by a driving thereof, each have encoded therein a different delay time, the transmitter unit of the cooktop utensil placed on a particular cooking zone delaying the transmission of the response signal to the receiver unit as a function of the encoded delay time of the heating coil of this cooking zone. 
     
     
         28 : The system of any of  claim 24 , wherein the correlation of the cooktop utensil placed on a particular cooking zone of the plurality of cooking zones with the particular cooking zone is performed in the evaluation unit by way of an overall time lag between a driving of the at least one respective heating coil associated with the particular cooking zone with the correlation signal and a reception by the receiver unit of the response signal of the cooktop utensil placed on the particular cooking zone. 
     
     
         29 : The system of  claim 28 , wherein for every possible pairing of the plurality of cooking zones with the at least one cooktop utensil, an overall time lag is predetermined and stored in a memory that is in signal communication with the cooktop controller or the third device. 
     
     
         30 : The system of  claim 28 , wherein a partial time lag of the overall time lag, which partial time lag is dependent on a cooktop utensil placed on a particular cooking zone of the plurality of cooking zones, is transmitted from the transmitter unit of the cooktop utensil to the receiver unit by the response signal, and the overall time lag is determined in the evaluation unit by way of the partial time lag. 
     
     
         31 : The system of  claim 8 , wherein identification of a particular cooktop utensil of the at least one cooktop utensil is performed by the evaluation unit as a function of the overall time lag for every possible pairing of the plurality of cooking zones with the at least one cooktop utensil, the overall time lag being different for every possible pairing of the plurality of cooking zones with the at least one cooktop utensil. 
     
     
         32 : The system of  claim 24 , wherein the response signal contains additional information on an operating setting of the cooktop utensil and/or an operating parameter of the cooktop utensil and/or an operating state of the cooktop utensil. 
     
     
         33 : The system of  claim 24 , wherein, for purposes of automatic correlation, the at least one respective heating coil of the cooking zones of the cooktop is driven by the cooktop controller as a function of at least one trigger event that is dependent on the cooktop and/or the cooktop utensil and/or the third device. 
     
     
         34 : The system of  claim 33 , wherein the trigger event occurs continuously as a function of at least one predetermined time interval when the cooktop is on, or
 wherein the trigger event occurs as a function of at least one change in a correlation of the at least one cooktop utensil with at least one of the cooking zones of the plurality of cooking zones.   
     
     
         35 : The system of  claim 24 , wherein, in a standby mode of the inductive cooktop, the at least one respective heating coil is not driven by the cooktop controller and, in an operating mode of the inductive cooktop, the at least one respective heating coil is driven to heat a cooktop utensil with the transmitter unit which cooktop utensil is placed on the cooking zone, the inductive cooktop additionally being operated by the cooktop controller in a ready mode, and the inductive cooktop being switched from the standby mode to the ready mode by a wake-up signal received by the receiver unit of the cooktop controller, and, in the ready mode, the at least one respective heating coil being driven by the cooktop controller such that, on one hand, the cooktop utensil is prevented from being effectively heated for a preparation operation and, on an other hand, signal transmission between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit is enabled by the at least one respective heating coil. 
     
     
         36 : The system of  claim 35 , wherein, in the ready mode, the at least one respective heating coil is driven by the cooktop controller such that transmission of an operating power from the inductive cooktop to the cooktop utensil placed on the cooking zone associated with the at least one respective heating coil is enabled by the at least one respective heating coil. 
     
     
         37 : The system of  claim 35 , wherein the wake-up signal is generated by:
 actuation of a control element that is provided on the cooktop utensil and is in signal communication with the transmitter unit, and/or   a motion sensor that is mounted on the cooktop utensil and is in signal communication with the transmitter unit, and/or   actuation of a control element that is provided on the inductive cooktop and is in signal communication with the receiver unit of the cooktop controller, and/or   actuation of a control element that is provided on a third device and is in signal communication with the receiver unit of the cooktop controller.   
     
     
         38 : The system of  claim 35 , wherein an electric power with which the cooktop controller drives the at least one respective heating coil in the ready mode has an average value of less than or equal to 30 W, and/or
 wherein an electric power with which the cooktop controller drives the at least one respective heating coil in the ready mode has a pause/power ratio of greater than or equal to 1000:1.   
     
     
         39 : The system of  claim 35 , wherein the automatic correlation of at least one cooktop utensil with at least one cooking zone of the inductive cooktop having a plurality of cooking zones which are inductively heated by the at least one respective heating coil is performed in the ready mode. 
     
     
         40 : The system of  claim 39 , wherein the inductive cooktop is automatically switched from the ready mode to the operating mode by the cooktop controller and as a function of the response signal received by receiver unit in the ready mode. 
     
     
         41 : The system of  claim 24 , wherein the driving of the at least one respective heating coil is performed as a function of a placement event detected by a sensor or of an underlying surface on which the cooktop utensil has been placed and which is detected by the sensor, and/or
 wherein a processing routine for automatically correlating the cooktop utensil with at least one cooking zone of the inductive cooktop is started as a function of a placement event detected by the sensor or of an underlying surface on which the cooktop utensil has been placed and which is detected by the sensor.