IP Library Granted Patent US 8,530,842
Granted Patent B2
US 8,530,842 · App. 13/057,536 · Granted Sep 10, 2013

Cooking hob device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,530,842
App. No.
13/057,536
Granted
Sep 10, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A hob device is provided that has a monitoring unit to monitor a cooking area of a hob. The monitoring unit includes a sensor array of multiple infrared sensors to record infrared light.

Claims (51)

1. A hob device, comprising:

a monitoring unit to monitor a cooking area of a hob,

the monitoring unit having a sensor array of a plurality of infrared sensors to record infrared light for monitoring the cooking area of the hob, the sensor array being a one-dimensional in-line array of sensors or a two-dimensional array of sensors that provide an image of the cooking area,

wherein each of the plurality of infrared sensors produces an electrical potential based on a temperature difference resulting from incident infrared light on each of the plurality of infrared sensors.

2. The hob device of claim 1 , further comprising an evaluator for image evaluation of data recorded by the sensor array.

3. The hob device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor array is the two-dimensional array of sensors.

4. The hob device of claim 3 , wherein the sensor array is a square matrix arrangement.

5. The hob device of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring unit is a safety device to detect a hazardous situation during operation of the hob.

6. The hob device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of infrared sensors comprises a thermocouple.

7. The hob device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of infrared sensors are arranged as one of thermopiles, thermocouple piles, and thermoelectric piles.

8. A hob device, comprising:

a monitoring unit to monitor a cooking area of a hob, the monitoring unit having a sensor array of a plurality of infrared sensors to record infrared light for monitoring the cooking area of the hob, wherein each of the plurality of infrared sensors produces an electrical potential based on a temperature difference resulting from incident infrared light on each of the plurality of infrared sensors; and

an evaluator for image evaluation of data recorded by the sensor array,

wherein the sensor array and the evaluator detect and evaluate a chronological sequence of images of the cooking area so as to recognize an application situation during operation of the hob.

9. The hob device of claim 8 , wherein the evaluator assigns the application situation to a change in a respective contour that is determined in two different images.

10. A hob device, comprising:

a monitoring unit to monitor a cooking area of a hob,

the monitoring unit having a sensor array of a plurality of infrared sensors to record infrared light for monitoring the cooking area of the hob,

wherein each of the plurality of infrared sensors produces an electrical potential based on a temperature difference resulting from incident infrared light on each of the plurality of infrared sensors, and

wherein an arrangement of the plurality of infrared sensors in the sensor array effects a rasterization of the monitored cooking area, and wherein eight grids are assigned to an extension direction of the monitored cooking area.

11. The hob device of claim 10 , wherein sixteen grids are assigned to the monitored cooking area.

12. A hob device, comprising:

a monitoring unit to monitor a cooking area of a hob,

the monitoring unit having a sensor array of a plurality of infrared sensors to record infrared light for monitoring the cooking area of the hob,

wherein each of the plurality of infrared sensors produces an electrical potential based on a temperature difference resulting from incident infrared light on each of the plurality of infrared sensors, and

wherein the sensor array has a field of vision that extends into a location area for a user of the hob when the user operates the hob, the location area being different from an area of the hob, the sensor array detecting one of a presence and an absence of the user in the location area.

13. A hob device, comprising:

a monitoring unit to monitor a cooking area of a hob,

the monitoring unit having a sensor array of a plurality of infrared sensors to record infrared light for monitoring the cooking area of the hob,

wherein each of the plurality of infrared sensors produces an electrical potential based on a temperature difference resulting from incident infrared light on each of the plurality of infrared sensors,

wherein the monitoring unit is a safety device to detect a hazardous situation during operation of the hob, and

wherein the monitoring unit has an evaluator to distinguish between normal heating-up of food to be cooked and an at least potentially unintentional application situation.

14. A hob device, comprising:

a monitoring unit to monitor a cooking area of a hob,

the monitoring unit having a sensor array of a plurality of infrared sensors to record infrared light for monitoring the cooking area of the hob,

wherein each of the plurality of infrared sensors produces an electrical potential based on a temperature difference resulting from incident infrared light on each of the plurality of infrared sensors,

wherein the monitoring unit is a safety device to detect a hazardous situation during operation of the hob, and

wherein the monitoring unit has an evaluator that detects a presence of food to be cooked that is outside of a cooking vessel provided to heat up the food to be cooked.

15. A hob, comprising:

a hob device that has a monitoring unit to monitor a cooking area of the hob,

the monitoring unit having a sensor array of a plurality of infrared sensors to record infrared light, the sensor array being a one-dimensional in-line array of sensors or a two-dimensional array of sensors that provide an image of the cooking area,

wherein each of the plurality of infrared sensors produces an electrical potential based on a temperature difference resulting from incident infrared light on each of the plurality of infrared sensors.

16. The hob of claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of infrared sensors comprises a thermocouple.

17. The hob of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of infrared sensors are arranged as one of thermopiles, thermocouple piles, and thermoelectric piles.

18. A method, comprising:

monitoring a cooking area of a hob by means of a monitoring unit;

recording data from infrared sensors in a sensor array, the sensor array being a one-dimensional in-line array of sensors or a two-dimensional array of sensors that provide an image of the cooking area, wherein each of the infrared sensors produces an electrical potential based on a temperature difference resulting from incident infrared light on each of the infrared sensors; and

evaluating the data to recognize an application situation.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the data are evaluated by means of image evaluation.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the infrared sensors comprise thermocouples.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the infrared sensors are arranged as one of thermopiles, thermocouple piles, and thermoelectric piles.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO REMOVE USSN 14373413; 29120436 AND 29429277 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 035624 FRAME: 0784. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Jun 19, 2015
From: BSH BOSCH UND SIEMENS HAUSGERÄTE GMBH
To: BSH HAUSGERÄTE GMBH
Reel/Frame 036000/0848 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 11, 2015
From: BSH BOSCH UND SIEMENS HAUSGERÄTE GMBH
To: BSH HAUSGERÄTE GMBH
Reel/Frame 035624/0784 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 4, 2011
From: HAS, UWE; VETTERL, PETER
To: BSH BOSCH UND SIEMENS HAUSGERAETE GMBH
Reel/Frame 025746/0352 →