EP4368894A1 - Method for operating a cooking system and cooking hob and cooking utensil - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a cooking system (1, 2), preferably an inductive cooking system (1, 2), wherein the cooking system (1, 2) has a hob (1) with at least one cooking point (10) and with a wireless transmitting/receiving unit (12) and a cooking utensil (2) with a wireless transmitting/receiving unit (21), the method comprising the steps: • requesting (200) a wireless pairing of the cooking utensil (2) with the hob (1), preferably with the cooking point (10) of the hob (1), with a first, lower transmission power, • if the first, lower transmission power is sufficient to be received by the hob (1), establishing (300) the wireless pairing of the cooking utensil (2) with the hob (1), preferably with the cooking point (10) of the hob (1), and • operating (400) the cooking utensil (2) on the hob (1), preferably on the cooking zone (10) of the hob (1), with a second, higher transmission power.

Description

The invention relates to a method for operating a cooking system, a hob for carrying out such a method and a cooking utensil for carrying out such a method.

The trend in home cooking is increasingly towards making the execution of cooking processes easier, more convenient and/or safer for the user in terms of the desired cooking result. This can be supported by providing the user with fully automatic programs or assistance functions that are intended to relieve the user of part or even all of the cooking process. A cooking process can also be supported, for example, by the hob and/or a mobile device, by tracking the cooking process, presenting it to the user, showing the next steps in the recipe sequence and giving the user appropriate instructions.

Furthermore, the hobs are to disappear visually from the kitchen more and more. This also includes making the controls on the hobs more and more inconspicuous or making them disappear completely. This may lead to the hob controls being moved to the cookware. It may therefore be necessary or at least desirable for information to be able to be exchanged between the cookware and the hob. This may include the transmission of instructions as well as measurements.

In any case, it must be noted that when communication takes place between cookware or cooking utensils and a hob or hotplate or the like via radio transmission, e.g. using transponder technology, it must be taken into account that this can represent a remote effect, i.e. controlling and/or regulating a device using a command that can be given outside of the device's line of sight. This means that communication and, associated with this, mutual or at least one-sided influence can take place between the participants, even when they are not in their intended use. In other words, the hob or hotplate could, for example, be operated by the cookware even though the cookware is not actually on the hob or hotplate.

Since this can endanger the safety of the user, such remote effects must be prevented in the household in accordance with the standard DIN EN 60335-2-6 (VDE 0700-1).

• Aussenden eines ersten Signals von der Sendeeinheit des Kochgeschirrs bei Betätigen des Betätigungselements des Kochgeschirrs durch einen Benutzer,
• Empfangen des ersten Signals durch die Empfangseinheit des Kochfelds,
• Auswerten des empfangenen ersten Signals durch das Kochfeld,
• induktives Betreiben wenigstens der ersten Kochstelle des Kochfelds mit einer ersten vorbestimmten Leistung für einen vorbestimmten Zeitraum in Abhängigkeit der Auswertung des empfangenen ersten Signals,
• Aussenden eines zweiten Signals von der Sendeeinheit des Kochgeschirrs bei induktiver Versorgung des Kochgeschirrs durch die erste Kochstelle,
• Empfangen des zweiten Signals durch die Empfangseinheit des Kochfelds, und
• Auswerten des empfangenen zweiten Signals durch das Kochfeld.

The EP 3 416 457 A1 describes a method for operating an inductive cooking system, wherein the inductive cooking system has a hob with at least one first cooking position and with at least one receiving unit and at least one cooking utensil with at least one actuating element and with at least one transmitting unit, wherein the cooking utensil is arranged on the first cooking position of the hob, with at least the steps:

• Emitting a first signal from the transmitting unit of the cookware when the operating element of the cookware is actuated by a user,
• Receiving the first signal by the hob’s receiving unit,
• Evaluating the first signal received by the hob,
• inductive operation of at least the first cooking zone of the hob with a first predetermined power for a predetermined period of time depending on the evaluation of the received first signal,
• Sending a second signal from the cookware transmitter unit when the cookware is inductively supplied by the first cooking zone,
• Receiving the second signal by the hob’s receiving unit, and
• Evaluating the second signal received by the hob.

The procedure of EP 3 416 457 A1 The idea is that in this way the user only has to operate the actuating element of the cookware once in order to initiate the entire further course of the method. As a result, the method or a corresponding cookware can manage with just one actuating element in order to start and carry out the method according to the invention.

This is possible because the user's single actuation of the cookware's operating element triggers a pairing between the hob or its hotplate and the cookware, which leads to a connection between the hotplate and the cookware. In other words, the user's single actuation of the cookware's operating element triggers a signal being sent from the hotplate back to the cookware, which triggers a reaction from the cookware, which leads to a successful pairing of the cookware and the hob or hotplate. This successful pairing can be used by the hob as a reason be used, for example, to carry out an automated cooking process for this cooking area. This automated cooking process can be triggered by the user by pressing the operating element of the cookware once.

The process can be implemented in accordance with standards and without remote effects by using an inductive power as the transmitted pairing signal from the cooking area, the reception of which by the cookware triggers the transmission of the second signal. Because the inductive power of the cooking area can only be received by the cookware when there is direct contact or at a maximum distance of approx. 5 cm between the cooking area or its coil and the cookware, pairing can only be successful if this framework is met. Otherwise, no pairing takes place and the automated cooking or cooking process is not started.

• mindestens zwei Zonen zum Induktionsheizen, die geeignet sind, einen oder mehrere mit dem Kochfeld kommunizierende elektronische Kochartikel zu tragen,
• eine Steuereinheit, die mit mindestens zwei Heizzonen verbunden ist, und
• eine Kommunikationsvorrichtung, die mit der Steuereinheit verbunden ist und geeignet ist, von dem oder den kommunizierenden elektronischen Artikeln oder auch einem tragbaren Kommunikationsendgerät zu empfangen:
  • ∘ Aktivierungssignale der Steuereinheit;
  • ∘ Befehlssignale der Heizleistung der Heizzone, sobald ein kommunizierender elektronischer Artikel erfasst und mit der Heizzone gepaart wurde, oder
  • ∘ Bestätigungssignale der Paarung, die anzeigen, dass ein magnetischer Fluss, der von der Heizzone erzeugt wurde, von einem kommunizierenden elektronischen Artikel gut erfasst wurde;

• wobei der oder die kommunizierenden elektronischen Kochartikel
  • eine Signalverarbeitungseinheit, die eingerichtet ist, mindestens ein Aktivierungssignal, das Bestätigungssignal und bzw. oder das Befehlssignal zu erzeugen,
  • eine Messvorrichtung eines magnetischen Felds, die mit der Verarbeitungseinheit verbunden ist und eingerichtet ist, um das Bestätigungssignal zu erzeugen, und
  • ein Kommunikationsmodul umfassen, das geeignet ist mit der Kommunikationsvorrichtung des Kochfelds zu kommunizieren;
• wobei in dem System die Steuereinheit einen Betriebsmodus, der Prüfmodus genannt wird, vorweist, in dem alle Heizzonen nacheinander während einer vorbestimmten Dauer versorgt werden, wenn die Kommunikationsvorrichtung ein Aktivierungssignal empfängt, oder wenn die Kommunikationsvorrichtung nicht mehr ein Bestätigungssignal empfängt, das von einem des einen der der mehreren kommunizierenden elektronischen Kochartikeln ausgesendet wurde, wobei dieser Prüfmodus während einer vorbestimmten Dauer realisiert wird, oder bis die Steuereinheit ein Bestätigungssignal der Paarung zwischen dem kommunizierenden elektronischen Artikel und einer der Heizzonen empfängt.

The EP3 111 144 B1 describes a system for induction heating comprising a hob and one or more communicating electronic cooking articles adapted to communicate with the hob, the hob comprising:

• at least two induction heating zones suitable for supporting one or more electronic cooking items communicating with the hob,
• a control unit connected to at least two heating zones, and
• a communication device connected to the control unit and capable of receiving from the communicating electronic article(s) or a portable communication terminal:
  • ∘ Activation signals of the control unit;
  • ∘ Command signals of the heating power of the heating zone once a communicating electronic article has been detected and paired with the heating zone, or
  • ∘ Pairing confirmation signals indicating that a magnetic flux generated by the heating zone has been well sensed by a communicating electronic article;

• whereby the communicating electronic cooking item(s)
  • a signal processing unit configured to generate at least one activation signal, the confirmation signal and/or the command signal,
  • a magnetic field measuring device connected to the processing unit and arranged to generate the confirmation signal, and
  • comprise a communication module suitable for communicating with the communication device of the hob;
• in which system the control unit has an operating mode, called test mode, in which all the heating zones are supplied one after the other for a predetermined duration when the communication device receives an activation signal or when the communication device no longer receives a confirmation signal emitted by one of the one of the plurality of communicating electronic cooking articles, this test mode being implemented for a predetermined duration or until the control unit receives a confirmation signal of pairing between the communicating electronic article and one of the heating zones.

The communicating electronic cooking item(s) have a switch-on device, which can be a mechanical, capacitive or electromechanical button and can be arranged on the handle of the communicating electronic cooking appliance. By pressing this switch-on device, electrical current is supplied to the signal processing unit. As soon as it is supplied with electrical current, the signal processing unit generates an activation signal. This activation signal is generated ad hoc by the signal processing unit and then sent by the communication module.

Advantageous in the processes of EP 3 416 457 A1 and the EP 3 111 144 B1 is that there is no need to use a mobile device or its app to pair a hotplate on the hob with the cookware and, if necessary, start an automated cooking process.

A disadvantage, however, is that pairing between a cooking zone on the hob and the cookware still requires a step of operating the cookware's operating element by a user and thus an action by the user on the cookware, which the user may find cumbersome.

Another disadvantage is that several steps are required on the part of the cookware and the hob, which must be carried out one after the other and alternately in order to achieve pairing. Finally, a signal is sent out one after the other from the cookware, one or all of the hobs is operated by the hob in response to receiving the signal, and a second signal is sent in response to a detected operation of a hob on the cookware, which in turn is sent out by the hob. is received. Only then is pairing successful. This can lead to a delay in pairing, which the user may find annoying.

The EP 3 273 831 B1 describes a device for managing the cooking of foodstuffs, intended to be removably arranged on a cooking vessel cooperating with a hotplate, the cooking management device being arranged to emit signals intended either to control the hotplate or to prompt the user to act on the hotplate and/or the foodstuffs being cooked, characterized in that the cooking management device comprises a system for detecting the type and/or size of the cooking vessel on which it is arranged, the detection system acting on the cooking management device to adapt the signals emitted as a function of the type and/or size of the cooking vessel detected.

The EN 10 2011 085 524 A4 describes a cooking device with at least two cooking devices, at least two sensor devices that can be attached to the respective cooking device for detecting at least one parameter influencing a cooking process in the respective cooking device, wherein the sensor devices communicate wirelessly with a base station and wherein the base station is designed to monitor and manage at least two cooking devices, characterized in that at least two different foods to be cooked can be selected at the base station, which are to be cooked in the at least two cooking devices, wherein the sensor devices each have an RFID chip or a thermoelectric generator and wherein the thermoelectric generator uses the temperature difference between the internal temperature in the cooking device and the ambient temperature to generate energy.

• Einschalten von Kochgerät,
• Herstellen einer Kommunikationsverbindung zwischen Kochgerät und eingeschaltetem mobilen Endgerät durch einen spezifizierten Bedienvorgang an dem Kochgerät und bzw. oder an dem mobilen Endgerät,
• Bestätigen des Herstellens einer Kommunikationsverbindung durch einen Bedienvorgang der Bedienperson am Kochgerät,
• Speichern einer Signalstärke der Kommunikationsverbindung zwischen den Kommunikationseinrichtungen von Kochgerät und mobilem Endgerät zum Zeitpunkt des Bestätigens der Kommunikationsverbindung am Kochgerät,
• Überwachen der aktuellen Signalstärke der Kommunikationsverbindung am Kochgerät und bzw. oder der Signalstärke von per Funk vom mobilen Endgerät gesandten Bedienbefehlen während des Bestehens der Kommunikationsverbindung,
• Bedienen des Kochgeräts mittels des mobilen Endgeräts durch Eingabe von Bedienbefehlen am mobilen Endgerät durch die Bedienperson,
• Blockieren von Bedienbefehlen des mobilen Endgeräts und bzw. oder Trennen der Kommunikationsverbindung zwischen Kochgerät und mobilem Endgerät in dem Fall, dass die Signalstärke der Kommunikationsverbindung und bzw. oder eines empfangenen Bedienbefehls vom mobilen Endgerät an das Kochgerät einen vorgegebenen Signalstärke-Grenzwert unterschreitet,

dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Signalstärke-Grenzwert maximal 50% der Signalstärke zum Zeitpunkt des Bestätigens der Kommunikationsverbindung am Kochgerät beträgt.The EP 3 236 709 B1 describes a method for controlling a cooking appliance with a mobile terminal separate from the cooking appliance, wherein the cooking appliance has: at least one heating device, at least one operating element for inputting operating commands by an operator, a controller, a communication device for wireless communication with the mobile terminal, wherein the mobile terminal has: its own communication device, a controller, an input device for inputting operating commands by an operator, wherein the method has the following steps:

• Switching on the cooking appliance,
• Establishing a communication connection between the cooking appliance and the switched-on mobile device by means of a specified operating procedure on the cooking appliance and/or on the mobile device,
• Confirmation of the establishment of a communication connection by an operator operation on the cooking appliance,
• Storing a signal strength of the communication connection between the communication devices of the cooking appliance and the mobile device at the time of confirming the communication connection on the cooking appliance,
• Monitoring the current signal strength of the communication connection on the cooking appliance and/or the signal strength of operating commands sent wirelessly from the mobile device while the communication connection exists,
• Operating the cooking appliance using the mobile device by the operator entering operating commands on the mobile device,
• Blocking operating commands from the mobile device and/or disconnecting the communication connection between the cooking appliance and the mobile device in the event that the signal strength of the communication connection and/or of an operating command received from the mobile device to the cooking appliance falls below a specified signal strength limit,

characterized in that the signal strength limit is a maximum of 50% of the signal strength at the time of confirming the communication connection on the cooking appliance.

The invention therefore addresses the problem of providing a method for operating a cooking system of the type described at the outset, so that pairing or a connection between a hotplate of a hob and a piece of cookware or cooking utensils can be carried out more easily, quickly and/or conveniently for the user than previously known. In this case, a remote effect should be excluded. At the very least, an alternative to known methods of pairing or a connection between a hotplate of a hob and a piece of cookware or cooking utensils should be created.

According to the invention, this problem is solved by a method for operating a cooking system, by a hob and by a cooking utensil having the features of the independent patent claims. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention emerge from the following subclaims.

• Anfragen eines drahtlosen Paarens des Gargeschirrs mit dem Kochfeld, vorzugsweise mit der Kochstelle des Kochfelds, mit einer ersten, niedrigeren Sendeleistung,
• falls die erste, niedrigere Sendeleistung ausreichend ist, von dem Kochfeld empfangen zu werden, Herstellen des drahtlosen Paarens des Gargeschirrs mit dem Kochfeld, vorzugsweise mit der Kochstelle des Kochfelds, und
• Betreiben des Gargeschirrs auf dem Kochfeld, vorzugsweis auf der Kochstelle des Kochfelds, mit einer zweiten, höheren Sendeleistung.

The invention thus relates to a method for operating a cooking system, preferably an inductive cooking system, wherein the cooking system has a hob with at least one cooking zone and with a wireless transmitting/receiving unit and a cooking utensil with a wireless transmitting/receiving unit, the method comprising the steps:

• Requests for wireless pairing of the cooking utensil with the hob, preferably with the hob’s hotplate, with a first, lower transmission power,
• if the first, lower transmission power is sufficient to be received by the hob, establishing the wireless pairing of the cooking utensil with the hob, preferably with the cooking zone of the hob, and
• Operating the cooking utensils on the hob, preferably on the hob's hotplate, with a second, higher transmission power.

In other words, the attempt to establish wireless communication between a cooking utensil in the form of a sensor or system cooking utensil with a corresponding hob or one of its cooking areas is deliberately attempted with a wireless communication transmission power that reduces the range within which this attempt can be successful. Accordingly, the range or distance between the cooking utensil and the hob or cooking area can be kept sufficiently small so that successful pairing can only take place in the immediate vicinity. This ensures that long-distance effects can be excluded.

At the same time, normal operation and, in particular, use of the normal or maximum wireless communication options can be achieved again by subsequently operating the cooking utensils and hob or cooking area with the higher or normal transmission power, which was deliberately reduced in favor of the pairing or pairing described above. This can make it possible to use the type of pairing or pairing described above without having to endure restrictions on wireless communication during actual operation.

According to one aspect of the invention, the first, lower transmission power is sufficiently low to only be received by the hob if the cooking utensil is arranged sufficiently close to the hob, preferably to the cooking area of the hob, to exclude a long-distance effect. This can represent a concrete possibility of implementation as described above.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the second, higher transmission power is sufficiently high to enable a higher data transmission than with the first, lower transmission power. This can represent a concrete possibility of implementation as described above.

• Aussenden einer Paarens-Anfrage mit der ersten, niedrigeren Sendeleistung von der drahtlosen Sende-/Empfangseinheit des Gargeschirrs an die drahtlose Sende-/Empfangseinheit des Kochfelds,
• falls die erste, niedrigere Sendeleistung hierfür ausreichend ist, Empfangen der Paarens-Anfrage der drahtlosen Sende-/Empfangseinheit des Gargeschirrs seitens der drahtlosen Sende-/Empfangseinheit des Kochfelds,
• Aussenden einer Paarens-Bestätigung mit der ersten, niedrigeren Sendeleistung von der drahtlosen Sende-/Empfangseinheit des Kochfelds an die Sende-/Empfangseinheit des Gargeschirrs und
• Empfangen der Paarens-Bestätigung der drahtlosen Sende-/Empfangseinheit des Kochfelds seitens der Sende-/Empfangseinheit des Gargeschirrs.

According to another aspect of the invention, requesting and establishing wireless pairing comprises the steps of:

• Sending a pairing request with the first, lower transmission power from the wireless transmitter/receiver unit of the cooking utensil to the wireless transmitter/receiver unit of the hob,
• if the first, lower transmission power is sufficient for this, receiving the pairing request of the wireless transmitter/receiver unit of the cooking utensil from the wireless transmitter/receiver unit of the hob,
• Sending a pairing confirmation with the first, lower transmission power from the wireless transmitter/receiver unit of the hob to the transmitter/receiver unit of the cooking utensil and
• Receiving the pairing confirmation of the hob's wireless transmitter/receiver unit from the cookware's transmitter/receiver unit.

This can represent a concrete possibility for implementation.

• Aktivieren des Gargeschirrs durch einen Benutzer.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the inquiry is preceded by the step:

• Activation of the cooking utensil by a user.

The cooking utensil can be activated by an additional action by the user, such as activating a control or activation element of the cooking utensil, for example by pressing or touching a button or the like. This can create the prerequisite for carrying out the following steps and functions described above. Otherwise, these can be prevented and energy for operating the cooking utensil can be saved accordingly. However, the cooking utensil can also be transferred from a rest, ready or standby mode to an active operation. In each case, this takes place as a separate step and independently of the query step, etc.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the request is made in response to an activation of the cooking utensil. The activation can be carried out by a corresponding action of the user, as described above, or alternatively by a movement or Operation of the cooking utensil can be carried out in a way that can be detected by the cooking utensil itself. This can be, for example, a movement of the cooking utensil, which can be detected by a motion sensor on the cooking utensil itself. In any case, activation can trigger or initiate the following process steps, so that no additional action by the user is required. This can speed up the process or relieve the user of another step.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the cooking utensil is activated by a movement of the cooking utensil detected by a sensor. This can take place automatically as already described and relieves the user of an additional activation step, such as by pressing or touching a button or the like. This can speed up the process and/or relieve the user accordingly.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the request for wireless pairing includes a user selecting a function and/or a functional parameter of the cooking utensil. In other words, a user selecting a function and/or a functional parameter of the cooking utensil can be seen as an incentive to carry out the pairing as described above and thus also to activate the selected function or to carry out the corresponding parameterization, so that a corresponding further step can be saved. This can speed up the process and/or relieve the user accordingly.

• Aussenden eines Sensorwertes mit der zweiten, höheren Sendeleistung von der drahtlosen Sende-/Empfangseinheit des Gargeschirrs an die Sende-/Empfangseinheit des Kochfelds,
• Empfangen der Sensorwertes der drahtlosen Sende-/Empfangseinheit des Gargeschirrs seitens der Sende-/Empfangseinheit des Kochfelds und
• Betreiben der Kochstelle des Kochfelds in Abhängigkeit des empfangenen Sensorwertes des Gargeschirrs.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the operation of the cooking utensil comprises the steps:

• Sending a sensor value with the second, higher transmission power from the wireless transmitter/receiver unit of the cooking utensil to the transmitter/receiver unit of the hob,
• Receiving the sensor value of the wireless transmitter/receiver unit of the cooking utensil by the transmitter/receiver unit of the hob and
• Operating the hob's cooking zone depending on the sensor value received from the cooking utensil.

This can make it possible to integrate a sensor-detected value or parameter of the cooking process, which can be detected and transmitted by the cooking utensil as a sensor cooking utensil, into the operation of the cooking utensil. This can enable a controlled or regulated cooking process. The second, higher or Using normal transmission power can make it possible to exploit the possibilities of data transmission of the sensor values as well as possible or even completely, which can improve the quality of the data transmission and thus of the control or regulation.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the sensor value is a temperature value, preferably a food temperature value. This can enable the corresponding implementation of a cooking process.

The invention also relates to a hob for carrying out a method as described above. In this way, a hob can be provided to enable the above-described method according to the invention to be carried out with its properties and advantages.

The invention also relates to a cooking utensil for carrying out a method as described above. In this way, a cooking utensil can be provided to enable the above-described method according to the invention to be carried out with its properties and advantages.

In other words, the integration of cooking zone-independent assistance functions in the form of "intelligent" cooking utensils, which can also be referred to as "smart cookware", is increasingly being planned. To do this, the intelligent cooking utensils must be equipped with suitable sensors, electronics, UI/UX (user interface), measuring electronics and an energy storage device and connected wirelessly, for example with Bluetooth (BT). Accordingly, the "smart cookware" can also be referred to as sensor cooking utensils or system cooking utensils.

The "smart cookware" can be connected directly to the hob via BT. Assistance levels can be selected via the UI/UX on the cookware. Temperatures and/or power levels are also conceivable.

However, remote operation is not permitted by law. It must therefore be ensured that the user is in the immediate vicinity or within sight of the sensor cooking utensil. In addition, measures must be taken to prevent manipulation of the interface by third parties.

Against this background, a solution, at least an alternative, is to be developed in order to exclude remote operation.

According to the invention, it is therefore conceivable to reduce the transmission power of the BT module in the sensor cookware and/or in the BT card in the hob to such an extent that communication between "smart cookware" and the hob is only possible within a radius of, for example, 2 m.

The disadvantage is that reducing the transmission power can also lead to a significant reduction in the data rate of the interface. A solution is therefore being sought in which the transmission line is set dynamically. The idea is that all safety-critical requirements from the "smart cookware" such as selecting the assistance or power levels, switching on, etc. are requested with a comparatively low transmission line in order to ensure that remote operation can be ruled out or that the "smart cookware" is located in the vicinity of the hob. On the other hand, the transmission power can easily be increased after selecting the assistance in order to achieve the maximum data rate on the interface. This applies to all actions and situations that are not critical from the point of view of the system safety analysis.

This means that remote operation in accordance with the EN60335 standard (remote control) can be excluded.

Figur 1

eine schematische Darstellung eines Kochsystems zur Durchführung eines erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens von oben; und

Figur 2

ein Ablaufdiagramm eines erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens.

An embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawings and is described in more detail below. It shows

Figure 1

a schematic representation of a cooking system for carrying out a method according to the invention from above; and

Figure 2

a flow chart of a method according to the invention.

The above figures are viewed in Cartesian coordinates. There is a longitudinal direction X, which can also be referred to as depth X or length X. Perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X there is a transverse direction Y, which can also be referred to as width Y. Perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction X and the transverse direction Y there is a vertical direction Z, which can also be referred to as height Z and corresponds to the direction of gravity. The longitudinal direction X and the transverse direction Y together form the horizontal X, Y, which can also be referred to as the horizontal plane X, Y.

Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a cooking system 1, 2 for carrying out a method according to the invention from above. The cooking system 1, 2 consists of a hob 1 with several cooking dishes 2.

The hob 1 is an inductive hob 1 with several cooking zones 10 in the form of a first cooking zone 10a and a second cooking zone 10b. Furthermore, an operating/display element 11 and a wireless transmitting/receiving unit 12 are provided.

A first cooking utensil 2a in the form of a cooking pot 2a is operated on the first cooking zone 10a and a second cooking utensil 2b in the form of a pan 2b is operated on the second cooking zone 10b. Each cooking utensil 2 has a control/display element 20 on the handle or on the handle as well as a transmitting/receiving unit 21. The wireless communication between the wireless transmitting/receiving unit 12 of the inductive hob 1 and the wireless transmitting/receiving units 21 of the cooking utensils 2 takes place via Bluetooth (BT).

With the cooking system 1, 2, a method according to the invention can now be carried out as shown in the flow chart of the Figure 2 shown as follows:
The hob 1 is in a stand-by mode, into which the hob 1 was placed by the user by operating the control/display element 11. The hob 1 is now ready to be operated, ie to receive inputs from the user, eg for selecting the power level of a hotplate 10.

If the user now takes a cooking utensil 2 such as the cooking pot 2a as the first cooking utensil 2a out of a drawer, this is detected by a sensor using a separate motion sensor of the cooking pot 2a. This leads to an activation 100 of the cooking pot 2a.

In response to the activation 100 of the cooking pot 2a, a request 200 is made for wireless pairing of the cooking utensil 2 with the hob 1 or with the specific first hotplate 10a of the hob 10 with a first, lower transmission power. To this end, a pairing request is specifically sent 230 with the first, lower transmission power from the wireless transmission/reception unit 21 of the cooking utensil 2 to the wireless transmission/reception unit 12 of the hob 1. The first, lower transmission power is sufficiently low to only be received by the hob 1 if the cooking utensil 2 is arranged sufficiently close to the hob 1 or to the first hotplate 10a of the hob 1 to rule out a remote effect.

If the first, lower transmission power is sufficient for this, the pairing request of the wireless transmitting/receiving unit 21 of the cooking utensil 2 is received 260 by the wireless transmitting/receiving unit 12 of the hob 1, which leads to the wireless pairing 300 of the cooking utensil 2 with the hob 1 or with its first cooking point 10a. In response to this, a pairing confirmation is now sent 330 with the first, lower transmission power from the wireless transmitting/receiving unit 12 of the hob 1 to the transmitting/receiving unit 21 of the cooking utensil 2. This leads to the receiving 360 of the pairing confirmation of the wireless transmitting/receiving unit 12 of the hob 1 by the transmitting/receiving unit 21 of the cooking utensil 2. This completes the pairing. Due to the comparatively low transmission power, which is only possible in the immediate vicinity of the Since the signal can be received by the corresponding receiver, remote operation could be ruled out.

The cooking utensil 2 is now operated 400 on the hob 1 or on its first cooking zone 10a with a second, higher transmission power. Thanks to the second, higher transmission power, the possibilities of higher data transmission can be used than with the first, lower transmission power of the pairing.

In this case, a sensor value is transmitted 430 with the second, higher transmission power from the wireless transmitting/receiving unit 21 of the cooking utensil 2 to the transmitting/receiving unit 12 of the hob 1. This leads to a reception 450 of the sensor value of the wireless transmitting/receiving unit 21 of the cooking utensil 2 by the transmitting/receiving unit 12 of the hob 1. In response to this, the cooking point 10 of the hob 1 is operated 470 depending on the received sensor value of the cooking utensil 2. This can enable a temperature-controlled or temperature-regulated cooking operation or cooking process with a correspondingly high quality of the wireless data transmission.

List of reference symbols (part of the description)

X

longitudinal direction; depth; length

Y

transverse direction; width

Z

vertical direction; height

X, Y

Horizontal; horizontal plane

1

(inductive) hob

10

Cooking areas

10a

first cooking area

10b

second cooking area

11

Control/display element

12

(BT) transmitter/receiver unit

2

Cooking utensils

2a

first cooking utensil; cooking pot

2 B

second cooking utensil; pan

20

Control/display elements

21

(BT) transmitting/receiving units

100

Activating the cooking utensil 2

200

Requests for wireless pairing of cookware 2 with hob 1

230

Sending a pairing request from cooking utensil 2 to hob 1

260

Receiving the pairing request of the cooking utensil 2 from the hob 1

300

Establishing wireless pairing of the cookware 2 with the hob 1

330

Sending a pairing confirmation from hob 1 to cooking utensil 2

360

Receiving the pairing confirmation of the hob 1 from the cookware 2

400

Operating the cooking utensils 2 on the hob 1

430

Sending a sensor value from cooking utensil 2 to hob 1

450

Receiving the sensor value of the cooking utensil 2 from the hob 1

470

Operating the cooking zone 10 of the hob 1 depending on the received sensor value of the cooking utensil 2

Claims (12)

Method for operating a cooking system (1, 2), preferably an inductive cooking system (1, 2), wherein the cooking system (1, 2) has a hob (1) with at least one cooking area (10) and with a wireless transmitting/receiving unit (12) and a cooking utensil (2) with a wireless transmitting/receiving unit (21), the method comprising the steps: • Requesting (200) a wireless pairing of the cooking utensil (2) with the hob (1), preferably with the cooking zone (10) of the hob (1), with a first, lower transmission power, • if the first, lower transmission power is sufficient to be received by the hob (1), establishing (300) the wireless pairing of the cooking utensil (2) with the hob (1), preferably with the cooking zone (10) of the hob (1), and • Operating (400) the cooking utensil (2) on the hob (1), preferably on the cooking zone (10) of the hob (1), with a second, higher transmission power. Method according to claim 1,
wherein the first, lower transmission power is sufficiently low to only be received by the hob (1) if the cooking utensil (2) is arranged sufficiently close to the hob (1), preferably to the cooking point (10) of the hob (1), to exclude a long-distance effect. Method according to claim 1 or 2,
whereby the second, higher transmission power is sufficiently high to enable a higher data transmission than with the first, lower transmission power. Method according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein requesting (200) and establishing (300) wireless pairing comprises the steps of: • Sending (230) a pairing request with the first, lower transmission power from the wireless transmitting/receiving unit (21) of the cooking utensil (2) to the wireless transmitting/receiving unit (12) of the hob (1), • if the first, lower transmission power is sufficient for this purpose, receiving (260) the pairing request of the wireless transmitting/receiving unit (21) of the cooking utensil (2) by the wireless transmitting/receiving unit (12) of the hob (1), • Sending (330) a pairing confirmation with the first, lower transmission power from the wireless transmitting/receiving unit (12) of the hob (1) to the transmitting/receiving unit (21) of the cooking utensil (2) and • Receiving (360) the pairing confirmation of the wireless transmitter/receiver unit (12) of the hob (1) from the transmitter/receiver unit (21) of the cooking vessel (2). Method according to one of the preceding claims,
where the request (200) is preceded by the step: • Activation (100) of the cooking utensil (2) by a user. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4,
wherein the request (200) is made in response to an activation (100) of the cooking utensil (2). Method according to claim 5 or 6,
wherein the activation (100) of the cooking utensil (2) takes place by a sensor-detected movement of the cooking utensil (2). Method according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein the request (200) for wireless pairing comprises a selection of a function and/or a functional parameter of the cooking utensil (2) by a user. Method according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein the operation (400) of the cooking utensil (2) comprises the steps: • Sending (430) a sensor value with the second, higher transmission power from the wireless transmitting/receiving unit (21) of the cooking utensil (2) to the transmitting/receiving unit (12) of the hob (1), • Receiving (450) the sensor value of the wireless transmitter/receiver unit (21) of the cooking utensil (2) by the transmitter/receiver unit (12) of the hob (1) and • Operating (470) the cooking zone (10) of the hob (1) depending on the received sensor value of the cooking utensil (2). Method according to claim 9,
wherein the sensor value is a temperature value, preferably a food temperature value. Hob (1) for carrying out a method according to one of claims 1 to 10. Cooking utensils (2) for carrying out a method according to one of claims 1 to 10.

Images