Abstract: A method for sensing a container includes: charging an induction heating circuit; sensing a current applied to the induction heating circuit, converting a current value of the current into a first voltage value; comparing the first voltage value with a resonance reference value; generating a resonance of the current; sensing a resonant current generated in the induction heating circuit; converting the resonant current into a second voltage value; comparing the second voltage value with a count reference value; generating one or more output pulses; comparing a count of the one or more output pulses with a reference count, or comparing an on-duty time of the one or more output pulses with a reference time; and based on (i) the comparison of the count with the reference count or (ii) the comparison of the on-duty time with the reference time, determining whether an object is present on a working coil.

Abstract: An induction heating device includes a working coil, an inverter including a first switching element and a second switching element; a gate driver including a first sub-gate driver and a second sub-gate driver; and a protection circuit disposed between the inverter and the gate driver. The protection circuit includes a first resistor disposed between a gate terminal of the first switching element and an output terminal of the first sub-gate driver, a second resistor connected electrically in parallel to the first resistor, a protection circuit resistor disposed between a reference voltage terminal of the first sub-gate driver and a first node between the first switching element and the second switching element, a protection circuit diode disposed between a ground and a second node between the protection circuit resistance and the reference voltage terminal, and a bootstrap circuit disposed between the second node and the external power supply.

Abstract: An induction heating device includes: a first board including a first working coil, a first inverter configured to apply a resonant current to the first working coil, a first current transformer configured to adjusting a magnitude of the first resonant current, a first control unit configured to control the first inverter; and a second board including a second working coil, a second inverter configured to apply a resonant current to the second working coil, a second current transformer configured to adjust a magnitude of the second resonant current, a first relay configured to selectively connect the second working coil to the second current transformer or to the first working coil, a second relay configured to selectively connect the second working coil to the first working coil or to the second resonant capacitor, and a second control unit configure to control the second inverter, the first relay, and the second relay.

Abstract: A method is provided for operating a resonant power conversion apparatus The method may include charging a capacitor connected to a power source in parallel, and determining a discharge time point and a discharge period of a discharge circuit, where the discharge circuit includes a resistor and a switch connected in series and is connected to the capacitor in parallel. The method may also include outputting, by a switch control circuit, a switch control signal by determining the switch control signal based on the discharge time point and the discharge period, and discharging the charged capacitor through the resistor based on the switch control signal applied to the switch. A resonant power conversion apparatus for performing the above-described method is provided.

Abstract: A method controls an induction heating device that is configured to operate based on a multi-phase power supply and that includes a working coil configured to heat an object and a controller configured to detect the object. The method includes: receiving voltage information related to a first input voltage and a second input voltage that are supplied by the multi-phase power supply and that have different phases from each other; selecting a reference voltage among the first input voltage and the second input voltage based on the voltage information; determining a detection time point, which corresponds to a time instant at which a detection operation is to be performed for detecting the object on the working coil, based on the reference voltage; and performing the detection operation at the detection time point.

Abstract: An induction heating device includes a casing, a cover plate coupled to a top of the casing, and a first induction heating module located within the casing and configured to heat an object on the cover plate. The first induction heating module includes: a working coil; an inverter configured to apply a resonant current to the working coil; a light guide located outside of the working coil, where the light guide includes a light-emission surface that is located at a top of the light guide, that is configured to indicate whether the working coil is driven, and that is configured to indicate an intensity of the working coil; a light emitting element vertically located below the light guide and configured to emit light to the light guide; and a control module configured to control the inverter and the light emitting element.

Abstract: An induction heating type cooktop includes a case, an upper plate coupled to a top of the case and configured to support a target heating object, a working coil disposed inside the case and configured to heat the target heating object, a thin film disposed at a top surface of the upper plate or a bottom surface of the upper plate, and an insulator disposed between the bottom surface of the upper plate and the working coil. The thin film includes a plurality of sub-thin films that are arranged about a central portion of the working coil. Each of the plurality of sub-thin films defines a closed loop surrounding the central portion of the working coil. The thin firm further includes a heat conduction member that is arranged in a predetermined pattern and contacts at least one of the plurality of sub-thin films.

Abstract: An induction heating type cooktop includes a case, an upper plate coupled to a top of the case and configured to support an object, a working coil disposed inside the case and configured to heat the object, a thin film arranged at a top surface of the upper plate or a bottom surface of the upper plate, at least one temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of at least one of components of the induction heating type cooktop, the components including the thin film, and a microcontroller unit (MCU) configured to drive the working coil and to control an output of the working coil based on whether the temperature satisfies at least one condition that is preset for the at least one of the components.

Abstract: A method is provided for operating a resonant power conversion apparatus The method may include charging a capacitor connected to a power source in parallel, and determining a discharge time point and a discharge period of a discharge circuit, where the discharge circuit includes a resistor and a switch connected in series and is connected to the capacitor in parallel. The method may also include outputting, by a switch control circuit, a switch control signal by determining the switch control signal based on the discharge time point and the discharge period, and discharging the charged capacitor through the resistor based on the switch control signal applied to the switch. A resonant power conversion apparatus for performing the above-described method is provided.

Abstract: Provided is a resonant power conversion apparatus including a gate control circuit that controls a first switch to enter an On state and a second switch to enter an Off state at a first stage and controls the first switch to enter the Off state and the second switch to enter the On state at a second stage, a first current transformer that applies current to the first switch at the first stage and applies current to the second switch at the second stage, a load connected to the first current transformer in series, a second current transformer connected to the second switch, and a microcontroller unit (MCU) that determines whether to be zero voltage switching or non-zero voltage switching based on a current flowing in the first current transformer and the second current transformer in a process of transitioning from the first stage to the second stage.

Abstract: An induction heating type cooktop includes: an upper plate coupled to a top of a case, the upper plate being configured to support a target object, a working coil provided in the case and configured to heat the target object, a thin film disposed on at least one of a top of the upper plate or a bottom of the upper plate, a first temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the thin film, a second temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the upper plate, and a controller. The controller is configured to control the working coil to heat the target object based on a target output, and control an output of the working coil based on the measured temperature of the thin film and the measured temperature of the upper plate.

Abstract: An induction heating type cooktop includes: a case, a cover plate coupled to a top of the case and having an upper plate that is configured to support a target object, a thin film disposed on at least one of a top of the upper plate or a bottom of the upper plate, a working coil provided in the case and configured to inductively heat the thin film, a memory storing information on one or more correlations between a temperature of the thin film and a plurality of components of an equivalent circuit associated with the thin film, the plurality of components including an inductor component and a resistor component, and a controller configured to operate the working coil and determine estimated temperature information corresponding to the inductor component and the resistor component of the equivalent circuit.

Abstract: An induction heating device includes: a working coil set including a first working coil connected to a first resonant capacitor and a second working coil connected to a second resonant capacitor; an inverter that performs a switching operation to apply a resonant current to at least one of the first or second working coil; a current transformer that adjusts a magnitude of the resonant current and that transmits the resonant current having the adjusted magnitude to the working coil set; a first relay that selectively connects a first end of the second working coil to the current transformer or the second resonant capacitor; a second relay that selectively connects a to second end of the second working coil to an end of the first working coil or the second resonant capacitor; and a control unit configured to control operations of the inverter and the first and second relays, respectively.

Abstract: An induction heating type cooktop includes an upper plate coupled to a top side of a case and configured to place an object to be heated on a top of the upper plate, a working coil disposed inside the case to heat the object, a thin film disposed on at least one of a top surface or a bottom surface of the upper plate, an insulator disposed between the bottom surface of the upper plate and the working coil, and a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of at least one of the thin film or the upper plate by a plurality of thermocouples.

Abstract: An induction heat cooking apparatus that includes: a rectifier that is configured to convert alternating current (AC) voltage supplied from an external power source into direct current (DC) voltage; an inverter that is configured to generate current based on DC voltage received from the rectifier and provide the current to output nodes; heating coils that are configured to, based on the current generated by the inverter, generate magnetic fields for providing heat; a first capacitive unit that includes one or more resonance capacitors and that is coupled between the output nodes; a second capacitive unit that includes one or more wireless power transfer (WPT) capacitors and that is configured to be coupled between the output nodes; and a mode conversion switch that is configured to couple the second capacitive unit to the first capacitive unit in parallel is disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an induction heat cooking apparatus including a power supply configured to supply an alternating current (AC) voltage, a rectifier configured to rectify the supplied AC voltage into a direct current (DC) voltage, first and second switching units configured to control switching such that the DC voltage from the rectifier is alternately applied to a working coil, a comparison unit configured to sense current flowing in the working coil and to compare the sensed current with a predetermined reference value to output pulses, and a controller configured to determine whether a cooking vessel is present on the working coil based on the output pulses.

Abstract: An induction heat cooking apparatus that includes: a rectifier that is configured to convert alternating current (AC) voltage supplied from an external power source into direct current (DC) voltage; an inverter that is configured to generate current based on DC voltage received from the rectifier and provide the current to output nodes; heating coils that are configured to, based on the current generated by the inverter, generate magnetic fields for providing heat; a first capacitive unit that includes one or more resonance capacitors and that is coupled between the output nodes; a second capacitive unit that includes one or more wireless power transfer (WPT) capacitors and that is configured to be coupled between the output nodes; and a mode conversion switch that is configured to couple the second capacitive unit to the first capacitive unit in parallel is disclosed.

Abstract: A method controls an induction heating device that is configured to operate based on a multi-phase power supply and that includes a working coil configured to heat an object and a controller configured to detect the object. The method includes: receiving voltage information related to a first input voltage and a second input voltage that are supplied by the multi-phase power supply and that have different phases from each other; selecting a reference voltage among the first input voltage and the second input voltage based on the voltage information; determining a detection time point, which corresponds to a time instant at which a detection operation is to be performed for detecting the object on the working coil, based on the reference voltage; and performing the detection operation at the detection time point.

Abstract: An induction heating device includes a working coil, an inverter including a first switching element and a second switching element; a gate driver including a first sub-gate driver and a second sub-gate driver; and a protection circuit disposed between the inverter and the gate driver. The protection circuit includes a first resistor disposed between a gate terminal of the first switching element and an output terminal of the first sub-gate driver, a second resistor connected electrically in parallel to the first resistor, a protection circuit resistor disposed between a reference voltage terminal of the first sub-gate driver and a first node between the first switching element and the second switching element, a protection circuit diode disposed between a ground and a second node between the protection circuit resistance and the reference voltage terminal, and a bootstrap circuit disposed between the second node and the external power supply.

Abstract: Described is a method for controlling an induction heating device having one or more working coils and a controller configured to perform pre-testing based on a single pulse. The method includes: selecting a working coil to be tested, performing a detection operation to detect a vessel disposed on the working coil and generate a first output pulse; comparing at least one of: a count of the first output pulse to a predetermined reference count range, or an on-duty time of the first output pulse to a predetermined reference time range; and adjusting, by the controller, a duration of an on-state of the single pulse based on (i) a result of the comparison of the count of the first output pulse to the predetermined reference count range or (ii) a result of the comparison of the on-duty time of the first output pulse to the predetermined reference time range.