Cooking appliance and method for adjusting preheating duration with setpoint change

Abstract

A cooking appliance and method for operation include initiating a preheating operation based on an initial temperature setpoint, a first preheating phase duration, and an initial power level. One or more temperature setpoint changes each corresponding to respective setpoint change times are obtained during the preheating operation. Each temperature setpoint change includes a respective second power level and second adjusted preheating duration. The preheating operation is adjusted to the sequentially latest power level and an adjusted preheating duration based on a first attribute including the first preheating phase duration and the sequentially latest power level, a second attribute including a sum of each preheating duration over which the first and subsequent temperature setpoints are performed and a difference between the sequentially latest power level and each prior power level applied, and a ratio of the sum of the first and second attributes to the sequentially latest power level.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cooking appliance comprising:
 a heating element configured to selectively supply heat to a cookware item; and   a controller operably connected to the heating element, the controller configured to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 obtaining an initial temperature setpoint comprising a first preheating phase duration and an initial power level; 
 initiating a preheating operation based on the first preheating phase duration and the initial power level; 
 obtaining one or more temperature setpoint changes each corresponding to respective setpoint change times during the preheating operation, wherein each temperature setpoint change comprises a respective second adjusted preheating duration and a respective second power level; 
 adjusting the preheating operation to a sequentially latest power level of the one or more second power levels and a sequentially latest adjusted preheating duration, wherein the adjusted preheating duration is based on:
 a first attribute comprising the first preheating phase duration and the sequentially latest power level of the one or more second power levels, 
 a second attribute comprising a sum of each preheating duration over which the respective first and subsequent temperature setpoints are performed, and a difference between the sequentially latest power level of the one or more temperature setpoint changes and each prior power level applied during the preheating operation, and 
 a ratio of the sum of the first and second attributes to the sequentially latest power level of the one or more temperature setpoint changes. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , the operations comprising:
 discontinuing the preheating operation at a completion time corresponding to the sequentially latest adjusted preheating duration.   
     
     
         3 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , the operations comprising:
 discontinuing the preheating operation if the determined adjusted preheating duration is less than or equal to the elapsed preheating duration.   
     
     
         4 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein obtaining the initial temperature setpoint corresponds to start of the preheating operation. 
     
     
         5 . The cooking appliance of  claim 4 , wherein obtaining the one or more temperature setpoint changes comprises one or more temperature setpoint changes in serial sequence corresponding to respective setpoint change times, setpoint durations, and power levels. 
     
     
         6 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a temperature sensor configured to monitor a temperature of a cookware item, the temperature sensor operably connected to the controller to perform operations from a starting temperature obtained from the temperature sensor.   
     
     
         7 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein obtaining the initial temperature setpoint and obtaining the one or more temperature setpoint changes comprise receiving a user input. 
     
     
         8 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein obtaining the initial temperature setpoint comprising the first preheating phase duration and the initial power level each corresponding to the initial temperature setpoint comprises obtaining, from a database, the first preheating phase duration and the initial power level. 
     
     
         9 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein obtaining the one or more temperature setpoint changes each comprising the respective second adjusted preheating duration and the respective second power level comprises obtaining, from a database, each second power level. 
     
     
         10 . A method for operating a closed loop cooking appliance, the cooking appliance comprising at least one heating element and a temperature sensor, the method comprising:
 obtaining an initial temperature setpoint comprising a first preheating phase duration and initial power level;   initiating a preheating operation based on the first preheating phase duration and the initial power level;   obtaining one or more temperature setpoint changes each corresponding to respective setpoint change times during the preheating operation, wherein each temperature setpoint change comprises a respective second adjusted preheating duration and a respective second power level;   adjusting the preheating operation to a sequentially latest power level of the one or more second power levels and a sequentially latest adjusted preheating duration, wherein the adjusted preheating duration is based on:
 a first attribute comprising the first preheating phase duration and the sequentially latest power level of the one or more second power levels, 
 a second attribute comprising the sum of each preheating duration over which the respective first and subsequent temperature setpoints are performed and a difference between the sequentially latest power level of the one or more temperature setpoint changes and each prior power level applied during the preheating operation, and 
 a ratio of the sum of the first and second attributes to the sequentially latest power level of the one or more temperature setpoint changes. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , the method comprising:
 discontinuing the preheating operation at a completion time corresponding to the sequentially latest adjusted preheating duration.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , the method comprising:
 discontinuing the preheating operation if the determined adjusted preheating duration is less than or equal to the elapsed preheating duration.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein obtaining the initial temperature setpoint corresponds to start of the preheating operation. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein obtaining the one or more temperature setpoint changes comprises one or more temperature setpoint changes in serial sequence corresponding to respective setpoint change times, setpoint durations, and power levels. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , comprising:
 monitoring, via a temperature sensor, a temperature of a cookware item, wherein the temperature sensor is operably connected to a controller to perform operations from a starting temperature obtained from the temperature sensor.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein obtaining the initial temperature setpoint and obtaining the one or more temperature setpoint changes comprise receiving a user input. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein obtaining the initial temperature setpoint comprising the first preheating phase duration and the initial power level each corresponding to the initial temperature setpoint comprises obtaining, from a database, the first preheating phase duration and the initial power level. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein obtaining the one or more temperature setpoint changes each comprising the respective second adjusted preheating duration and the respective second power level comprises obtaining, from a database, each second power level. 
     
     
         19 . A controller for a closed-loop cooking appliance, the controller configured to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 obtaining an initial temperature setpoint comprising a first preheating phase duration and an initial power level;   commanding initiation of a preheating operation based on the first preheating phase duration and the initial power level;   obtaining one or more temperature setpoint changes each corresponding to respective setpoint change times during the preheating operation, wherein each temperature setpoint change comprises a respective second adjusted preheating duration and a respective second power level;   commanding adjustment of the preheating operation to a sequentially latest power level of the one or more second power levels and an adjusted preheating duration, wherein the adjusted preheating duration is based on:
 a first attribute comprising the first preheating phase duration and the sequentially latest power level of the one or more second power levels, 
 a second attribute comprising a sum of each preheating duration over which the respective first and subsequent temperature setpoints are performed and a difference between the sequentially latest power level of the one or more temperature setpoint changes and each prior power level applied during the preheating operation, and 
 a ratio of the sum of the first and second attributes to the sequentially latest power level of the one or more temperature setpoint changes. 
   
     
     
         20 . The controller of  claim 19 , wherein obtaining the one or more temperature setpoint changes each comprising the respective second adjusted preheating duration and the respective second power level comprises obtaining, from a database, each second power level.