Oven appliance and methods of operation

1. A method of operating an oven appliance comprising a cabinet defining an oven cavity, an acoustic wave reader, and a surface acoustic wave (SAW) temperature sensor, the method comprising:

initiating a preset oven cycle from a plurality of oven cycles;

determining the initiated preset oven cycle is an interrogating cycle in which oven conditions are predicted to damage the SAW temperature sensor;

monitoring the oven cavity for a condition signal in response to the initiated oven cycle and determining the initiated preset oven cycle is an interrogating cycle, the condition signal being transmitted from the SAW temperature sensor to the acoustic wave reader;

determining a state of the SAW temperature sensor based on the monitoring; and

halting the preset oven cycle based on a determined cavity-enclosed state of the SAW temperature sensor within the oven cavity,

wherein the monitoring includes directing an interrogation signal from the acoustic wave sensor to the oven cavity, and

wherein the monitoring includes receiving the condition signal in response to the directing when the SAW temperature sensor is disposed within the oven cavity.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

permitting the preset oven cycle based on a determined cavity-absent state of the SAW temperature sensor outside the oven cavity.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring includes failing to receive the condition signal when the SAW temperature sensor is disposed outside the oven cavity.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring includes repeating the directing of an interrogation signal.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the preset oven cycle is an oven cleaning cycle.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the preset oven cycle is a high-temperature cycle.

7. An oven appliance comprising:

a cabinet defining an oven cavity;

a heat source disposed within the oven cavity;

an acoustic wave reader in communication with the oven cavity;

a surface acoustic wave (SAW) temperature sensor receivable within the oven cavity; and

a controller in operable communication with the acoustic wave reader, the controller being configured to initiate a sensor protection sequence, the sensor protection sequence comprising:

initiating a preset oven cycle of the heat source from a plurality of oven cycles,

determining the initiated preset oven cycle is an interrogating cycle in which oven conditions are predicted to damage the SAW temperature sensor,

monitoring the oven cavity for a condition signal in response to the initiated oven cycle and determining the initiated preset oven cycle is an interrogating cycle, the condition signal being transmitted from the SAW temperature sensor to the acoustic wave reader,

determining a state of the SAW temperature sensor based on the monitoring, and

halting the preset oven cycle based on a determined cavity-enclosed state of the SAW temperature sensor within the oven cavity,

wherein the monitoring includes directing an interrogation signal from the acoustic wave sensor to the oven cavity, and

wherein the monitoring includes receiving the condition signal in response to the directing when the SAW temperature sensor is disposed within the oven cavity.

8. The oven appliance of claim 7 , wherein the sensor protection sequence further comprises permitting the preset oven cycle based on a determined cavity-absent state of the SAW temperature sensor outside the oven cavity.

9. The oven appliance of claim 7 , wherein the monitoring includes failing to receive the condition signal when the SAW temperature sensor is disposed outside the oven cavity.

10. The oven appliance of claim 7 , wherein monitoring includes repeating the directing of an interrogation signal.

11. The oven appliance of claim 7 , wherein the preset oven cycle is an oven cleaning cycle.

12. The oven appliance of claim 7 , wherein the preset oven cycle is a high-temperature cycle.