Abstract: An induction cooking hob includes a control unit and at least one cooking zone. The cooking zone includes at least three induction coils. At least one first group of one or more induction coils and at least one second group of two or more induction coils of the at least one cooking zone are alternatingly activatable or activated by a control unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an induction hob (1), the induction hob (1) comprising a power circuit portion (2) with at least one switching element adapted to provide pulsed electric power to an induction coil (3) and a control entity (4) for controlling operating parameters of the switching element, the method comprising the steps of: performing a control loop with control cycles in order to detect coupling changes between the induction coil (3) and a piece of cookware, said control cycles comprising the steps of: receiving frequency information (fcurr) and power information (Pcurr) at said control entity (4); calculating at least one relation coefficient (Ds?, Ds?) based on said frequency information (fcurr) and said power information (Pcurr); and comparing said relation coefficient (Ds?, Ds?) with a relation coefficient boundary, thereby deriving a comparison result; deciding, based on the comparison result, whether to: perform a new control cycle of said control loop or whether t

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an induction hob (1), the induction hob (1) comprising a power circuit portion (2) with at least one switching element adapted to provide pulsed electric power to an induction coil (3) and a control entity (4) for controlling operating parameters of the switching element, the method comprising the steps of: performing a control loop with control cycles in order to detect coupling changes between the induction coil (3) and a piece of cookware, said control cycles comprising the steps of: o receiving frequency information (fcurr) and power information (Pcurr) at said control entity (4); o calculating at least one relation coefficient (Ds?, Ds?) based on said frequency information (fcurr) and said power information (Pcurr); and o comparing said relation coefficient (Ds?, Ds?) with a relation coefficient boundary, thereby de-riving a comparison result; deciding, based on the comparison result, whether to: o perform a new control cycle of said control loop or whether

Abstract: The present invention relates to an induction cooking hob (10) including at least one cooking area (12), wherein the cooking area (12) comprises at least three induction coils (14). The induction coils (14) of at least one cooking area (12) are arranged side-by-side and in series. Each induction coil (14) of at least one cooking area (12) has an elongated shape. The longitudinal axes of the induction coils (14) within one cooking area (12) are arranged in parallel. Each induction coil (14) of the cooking area (12) is associated with a dedicated induction generator (16). The induction generators (16) are connected or connectable to at least one current line (18). The induction generators (16) are connected to and controlled or controllable by at least one control unit (20). Requested powers (rP) for each used induction generator (16) are adjusted or adjustable independent from each other by a user interface (22). Instant powers (iP) of the induction generators (16) within a cycle pattern (T1, T2, . . .

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an induction hob (1), the induction hob (1) comprising a power circuit portion (2) with at least one switching element adapted to provide pulsed electric power to an induction coil (3) and a control entity (4) for controlling operating parameters of the switching element, the method comprising the steps of: performing a control loop with control cycles in order to detect coupling changes between the induction coil (3) and a piece of cookware, said control cycles comprising the steps of: o receiving frequency information (fcurr) and power information (Pcurr) at said control entity (4); o calculating at least one relation coefficient (Ds?, Ds?) based on said frequency information (fcurr) and said power information (Pcurr); and o comparing said relation coefficient (Ds?, Ds?) with a relation coefficient boundary, thereby de-riving a comparison result; deciding, based on the comparison result, whether to: o perform a new control cycle of said control loop or whether

Abstract: The invention relates to a cooking hob comprising at least one heating power transferring element (2) including multiple concentrically arranged windings (2.1-2.n), one or more heating power energy units (3.1-3.n) for powering said windings (2.1-2.n) of the heating power transferring element (2) and a control unit (4) configured to control said one or more heating power energy units (3.1-3.n), wherein the cooking hob (1) comprises detection means configured to determine the coverage of the windings (2.1-2.n) of the heating power transferring element (1) by a cookware item (5), wherein the control unit (4) is configured to balance the heat provided to the cookware item (5) by determining a rescaled electric power for the windings (2.1-2.n) of the heating power transferring element (2) based on power requests and information regarding the coverage of the windings (2.1-2.n) and to establish an operating cycle by determining a duty cycle for one or more windings (2.1-2.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an induction cooking hob (10) including at least one cooking area (12), wherein the cooking area (12) comprises at least three induction coils (14). The induction coils (14) of at least one cooking area (12) are arranged side-by-side and in series. Each induction coil (14) of at least one cooking area (12) has an elongated shape. The longitudinal axes of the induction coils (14) within one cooking area (12) are arranged in parallel. Each induction coil (14) of 10 the cooking area (12) is associated with a dedicated induction generator (16). The induction generators (16) are connected or connectable to at least one current line (18). The induction generators (16) are connected to and controlled or controllable by at least one control unit (20). Requested powers (rP) for each used induction generator (16) are adjusted or adjustable independent from each other by a user interface (22). Instant powers (iP) of the induction generators (16) within a cycle pattern (T1, T2, . . .

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for controlling a cooking zone (16) of an induction cooking hob, wherein said cooking zone (16) comprises at least one induction coil (16) and is supplied by a generator (14) including a power switch. The method is performed by controlling the power switch by a gate driving signal (18) including a deactivation pulse length (Toff) and an activation pulse length (Ton). A switching period (T) of the gate driving signal (18) is given by the sum of the activation pulse length (Ton) and deactivation pulse length (Toff). A driving frequency (f) of the power switch is the reciprocal value of said switching period (T). The deactivation pulse length (Toff) depends on the resistance (28) and the inductance (30) of the induction coil (16). The activation pulse length (Ton) is varied according to a requested power for the cooking zone (16). A series of constant activation pulse length (Ton) is activated in order to determine the optimal deactivation pulse length (Toff).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for controlling a first cooking zone (18) and a second cooking zone (20) of an induction cooking hob, wherein each cooking zone (18, 20) is supplied by a corresponding generator (14, 16), and wherein the method comprises the steps of inputting a requested power (P1, P2) for each cooking zone (18, 20), activating a one-zone mode, if the requested power (P1, P2) for one cooking zone (18, 20) is bigger than zero and the requested power (P1, P2) for the other one cooking zone (18, 20) is zero, and activating a two-zones mode, if the requested powers (P1, P2) for both cooking zones (18, 20) are bigger than zero. If the two-zones mode is activated, then an algorithm (48, 50, 52, 54) is selected from a set of algorithms (48, 50, 52, 54) in dependence of the requested powers (P1, P2) for the cooking zones (18, 20).

Abstract: The invention relates to a power module, preferably induction module for powering one, two, three, four, at least one, at least two, at least three or at least four heating element (s), preferably electrical, radiant and/or induction heating elements, more preferably induction coils (3), of a cooking appliance, preferably a cooking hob, more preferably a radiant or induction hob (1), the power module (10) at least comprising: —one, two or at least two heating power units (11), in particular three or at least three heating power units, more in particular four or at least four heating power units, preferably heating frequency units and/or induction generators (11), each for providing power, in particular electrical power, to one, two, three, at least one, at least two or at least three heating elements (3); —one or at least one controller (12) for controlling the heating power unit(s) (11); —a communication interface (13) for coupling the power module (10) with one or at least one user interface (5); —wherein,

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling an induction hob (1), the induction hob (1) comprising a plurality of induction coils (3) and two or more power units (4), each power unit (4) being coupled with one or more induction coils (3), wherein a cooking zone is formed by associating one or more induction coils (3) to a coil group (6.1-6.4), the method comprising the steps of: —defining one or more coil groups (6.1-6.4), each coil group (6.1-6.4) being associated with one or more induction coils (3); —calculating a relative power value or relative electrical parameter value of each coil group (6.1-6.4) based on a maximum power value or maximum electrical parameter value, the maximum power value being the power value of the coil group with the highest power request, respectively, the maximum electrical parameter value being an electrical parameter value of the coil group (6.1-6.4) with the highest power request; —calculating, for each coil group (6.1-6.

Abstract: The invention relates to a power module, preferably induction module for powering one, two, three, four, at least one, at least two, at least three or at least four heating element (s), preferably electrical, radiant and/or induction heating elements, more preferably induction coils (3), of a cooking appliance, preferably a cooking hob, more preferably a radiant or induction hob (1), the power module (10) at least comprising:—one, two or at least two heating power units (11), in particular three or at least three heating power units, more in particular four or at least four heating power units, preferably heating frequency units and/or induction generators (11), each for providing power, in particular electrical power, to one, two, three, at least one, at least two or at least three heating elements (3);—one or at least one controller (12) for controlling the heating power unit(s) (11);—a communication interface (13) for coupling the power module (10) with one or at least one user interface (5);—wherein, in p

Abstract: A method for controlling a cooking hob including induction coils, wherein a heating process includes time cycles subdivided into time slots. The method includes: setting a requested power for each induction coil to be activated by a user, defining a group of induction coils that have the same requested power, determining a number of time slots given by the number of different requested powers, activating all groups of induction coils to be activated during a first time slot at a same current power for a calculated duration, and activating a part of groups of induction coils to be activated during a further time slot at the same current powers in each time slot for a calculated duration if more than one group of induction coils are defined, so that an average current power of each induction coil within the time cycle corresponds with the requested power for the induction coil.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for exchanging information between a household appliance (1) and a mobile device (2), the method comprising the steps of: providing optical information at a graphical user interface (3) of the household appliance (1) (S10); preferably, aligning the mobile device (2) with respect to the household appliance (1) based on one or more markers (4) displayed at a graphical user interface (5) of the mobile device (2) or based on a time-invariant portion of provided optical information (S11); receiving optical information at the mobile device (2) by capturing said optical information provided at the household appliance (1) by a camera (6) of the mobile device (2) (S12); processing said received optical information at the mobile device (1) in order to derive an information message included in said received optical information (S13); providing said information message or information associated with said information message at a user interface of the mobile device (2) (S14).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for calibrating a power control loop of an induction hob (1), the induction hob (1) comprising a power stage (10) including at least one induction element (21), a measurement unit (12) and a control unit (11), the method comprising the steps of: —coupling the at least one induction element (21) with a reference load; —powering the power stage (10) at predefined working conditions by means of said control unit (11); —deriving a measurement value being indicative for the power transferred from the power stage (10) to the reference load by means of said measurement unit (12); —providing the measurement value to the control unit (11); —calculating a correction value based on the measurement value and a reference value; —storing the correction value in a storage entity in order to modify measurement values provided by the measurement unit (12) based on the correction value when operating the induction hob (1).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for controlling a cooking process by using a liquid in a cooking vessel, for example a cooking pot, upon a cooking hob (20). Said method comprises a step of determining a cooking parameter of the liquid in the cooking vessel at a predetermined time (tB; tBP); a step of adjusting a heating power density (P) of a cooking zone of the cooking hob (20) for transferring a heating power (P) to the cooking vessel placed on said cooking zone; and a step of reducing the heating power density (P) transferred to the cooking vessel from an initial power (iP) to a simmering power (PS). Further, the present invention relates to a cooking vessel for the cooking hob (20). Moreover, the present invention relates to a cooking appliance for performing the cooking process.

Abstract: A method for checking functions of fans includes starting a normal operation mode, evaluating a fan monitoring signal depending on the fans' speeds, and starting a dynamic fan checking routine. If the monitoring signal is smaller than a lock threshold value, normal operation proceeds. If the monitoring signal is bigger than the lock threshold value, a multiple-fan checking routine is started. During each fan test the corresponding fan is activated for a predetermined time period, while the other fans are deactivated during the time period, and the monitoring signal is compared with the lock threshold value and a disconnecting threshold value. If the monitoring signal is bigger than the lock threshold value, the corresponding fan is locked and an error is detected. If the monitoring signal is smaller than the disconnecting threshold value, the corresponding fan is disconnected and an error is detected.

Abstract: Contacts of a relay may glue together during operation. This state may be measured and a controller may issue a pulse width-modulated signal at a certain duty cycle and frequency in order to vibrate the relay contacts to make them open again. Once this is the case, the process is stopped. This process may be repeated a certain number of times, and if successfully degluing is not possible, a notification may be generated. Also after a certain number of degluing cycles, a signal may be generated to indicate replacement of the relay.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for boil detection at a heating zone of an induction hob (1), the method comprising the steps of: —disabling (S110) a power control mechanism of the induction hob by setting the frequency of the AC-current provided to an induction coil of the induction hob to a fixed value; —measuring (S120) values of an electrical parameter provided within the induction hob (1); —interpolating (S130) the measured electrical parameter values by gathering a plurality of values of the electrical parameter within a time window and calculating the average value of said gathered plurality of values thereby obtaining interpolated electrical parameter values. —calculating (S140) a gradient measure indicative for the differential change of the interpolated electrical parameter values over time; —determining (S150) the boil point based on the calculated gradient measure.

Abstract: A method for controlling an induction cooking hob with a pot detection system and a user interface. The method includes the steps of activating the induction cooking hob by touching a main switch by a user; starting automatically the pot detection system by a control unit of the induction cooking hob; and detecting at least one pot and/or pan on a cooking surface of the cooking hob or detecting if no pot or pan is placed on said cooking surface, by the pot detection system; deactivating the pot detection system after a predetermined time interval if no pot or pan or if no further pot or pan, respectively, has been detected on the cooking surface within the time interval; activating a deactivation indicator showing to the user that the pot detection system is deactivated, and providing an opportunity to reactivate the pot detection system by the user.