The disclosure relates to a power supply circuit for a cooking device, in particular for an induction cooking device, more particularly for an induction hob, wherein the power supply circuit includes a single frequency adapting unit, in particular a filtering unit, for adapting at least one external supply signal into a single or at least one internal AC supply signal; at least one DC signal generating unit for converting the one or at least one internal AC supply signal into at least one signal component of an internal DC supply signal; and at least one heating frequency generating unit for converting one or at least one DC supply signal supplied by at least one DC signal generating unit into a heating frequency signal for supplying at least one heating unit with electrical power.

A hob having at least one inductor, at least one inverter, a switching apparatus and a detection circuit for detection of cooking utensils. The switching apparatus is arranged in a circuit between the inductor and the inverter and switchable between a first switch position in which a connection between the inverter and the inductor is established and a second switch position in which the connection between the inverter and the inductor is interrupted. In order to allow an energy-saving detection mode, the switching apparatus is connected to the detection circuit such that the switching apparatus connects the inductor to the detection circuit when it is in the second switch position.

In a heating cooker, multiple IH coils (3) are provided under a top plate, so as to heat an object to be heated by induction heating. Operation display unit (7) is configured with touch panel (5) to display information prompting an operation via touch panel (5) and receive an input of the operation via touch panel (5). Control unit (202) controls operation display unit (7) and drive unit (203), according to an operation input to operation display unit (7). Control unit (202) also sets a selection region on touch panel (5) and a heating region on the top plate, according to a drag operation on touch panel (5). Operation display unit (7) displays a selection region. Drive unit (203) drives one or more IH coils (3) corresponding to the heating region. This configuration enables to offer an inexpensive heating cooker with higher flexibility in the placement position of the object to be heated, without compromising its operability.

An induction hob (100) includes a solid plate (105), and a plurality of electrically activatable coil members (110.sub.1-110.sub.8) arranged underneath the plate. The define corresponding cooking zones (115.sub.1-115.sub.8) of the induction hob, and a control unit (135) is configured to select power levels for the cooking zones. Upon selection of first (P.sub.1) and second (P.sub.6) power levels for non-adjacent first (115.sub.1) and second (115.sub.6) cooking zones, respectively, the control unit is configured to automatically select for each intermediate cooking zone (115.sub.2-115.sub.5) between the first and second cooking zones a corresponding power level (P.sub.2-P.sub.5) obtained by interpolation of the first and second power levels with a predefined interpolating function.

A thermal system includes a plurality of resistor circuits that define a number of resistor circuits R.sub.n. The thermal system also has a plurality of nodes that connect the plurality of resistor circuits and define a number of nodes N.sub.n. A plurality of power wires are connected to each of the plurality of nodes, and the plurality of power wires define a number of power wires P.sub.n. A plurality of signal wires connect to each of the plurality of nodes to sense the temperature of each of the resistor circuits, and the plurality of signal wires define a number of signal wires S.sub.n. The number of power wires P.sub.n and the number of signal wires S.sub.n is equal to the number of nodes N.sub.n, and the number of resistor circuits R.sub.n is greater than or equal to the number of nodes N.sub.n.

A thermal system includes: a base member including at least one fluid passageway in which a two-phase fluid is disposed; a tuning layer secured to the base member; and a control system. The pressure of the two-phase fluid is controlled such that the two-phase fluid provides at least one of heating and cooling to the base member. The tuning layer includes a plurality of zones. The control system includes a plurality of sets of power lines in communication with the tuning layer, and a plurality of addressable control elements in electrical communication with the power lines and with the tuning layer. The control elements provide selective control of the tuning layer zones.

A cooktop is provided that includes heating elements which are combined to a heating zone; a power supply to generate a heating current that operates the heating elements; a switch to open and close a power circuit that includes the power supply and one of the heating elements; and a controller that determines a characteristic variable of the heating current, actuates the switch as a function of a selected power level to operate the heating zone, and activates, in a first operating state, two of the heating elements, which are combined to form the heating zone, in different phases of a heating period.

A method for assigning a unique identifier to a hob induction coil of an induction hob including a plurality of hob induction coils, the method including the steps of: placing one or more device induction coils of a device above one or more hob induction coils such that at least one device induction coil and at least one hob induction coil are facing each other; establishing a communication link between the device induction coil and the hob induction coil, wherein information regarding a unique identifier is transmitted to the hob induction coil by the device induction coil; and receiving information regarding the unique identifier by the hob induction coil and storing the identifier associated with the hob induction coil within a memory of the induction hob.

In order to determine the temperature of boiling water in an induction hob including a plurality of induction heating coils which can be individually driven and which, in a common heating mode, form a cooking point for a cooking vessel containing water, a cooking vessel containing water is positioned over at least two induction heating coils. The induction heating coils are operated in the heating mode in order to bring the water in the cooking vessel to boil and each induction heating coil heats that region of the cooking vessel base which is arranged above it. During the heating mode, the oscillation response at each induction heating coil is used to detect whether the temperature of the region of the cooking vessel base above this induction heating coil increases. The induction heating coils are operated in the heating mode at least until one induction heating coil detects that the temperature gradient of the cooking vessel base above the induction heating coil has reached zero. The induction heating coil is then determined to be a measuring coil and is operated in the measuring mode with a low measuring power and no longer in the heating mode. In the event that the time profile of the temperature gradient of the induction heating coil reaches zero, the water in the cooking vessel is determined to be boiling.

An induction cooking hob and method for assigning induction coils of the hob, so that each coil corresponds with a unique number or identity. The method includes; setting a load onto the hob, so that the load covers only one of the coils, which is provided for a first unique number or first identity; activating a pot detection device for all coils of hob; identifying the coil covered by the load; assigning the first number or identity to the covered coil; storing the unique number or identity in conjunction with the covered induction coil; setting the load onto a further one of the coils, which is provided for a second unique number or second identity; repeating the steps c) to f) for the further coil and second number or identity; and repeating the steps b) to f) for all other coils and corresponding unique numbers or corresponding identities.