In a method for a cooktop, in particular for producing and/or operating the cooktop, which has at least one variable cooking surface, the cooking surface is partitioned in an operating mode along a partitioning direction into a plurality of heating zones to which at least one heating parameter is assigned in each case in a location-dependent manner in order to heat a cooking utensil that is deposited on the heating zone. In order to ensure flexible production and/or flexible operation of the cooktop, during partitioning of the cooking surface into the heating zones in at least one peripheral region of the cooking surface, at least one cooking utensil characteristic is taken into account.

The present invention relates to a household appliance (1), in particular to a cooking hob, which comprises or is connected to an acceleration detection and/or measuring means (11) and a control unit (23) for controlling operating processes. The acceleration detection and/or measuring means (11), which may be an acceleration sensor and particularly a gravity sensor, is adapted for a detection of an acceleration of a section or a reference point of a wall or a panel (3) of the household appliance (1). The household appliance (1) may comprise a user interface (9) for providing information to a user, particularly status information, and/or for receiving input, particularly of control commands or data input, from the user. The acceleration detection and/or measuring means (11) is connected to the control unit (23) and/or, if applicable, to the user interface (9) for an exchange of data, and forms a trigger element for the control unit (23) and/or, if applicable, for the user interface (9). Further, the acceleration detection and/or measuring means (11) is adapted to provide a trigger signal for a control of a function and/or an operating process in the household appliance (1). Further, the present invention also relates to a method for controlling a household appliance (1), in particular a cooking hob. According to the invention, a function and/or an operating process in or of the household appliance (1) is triggered by an acceleration detection and/or measuring means (11), particularly by an acceleration sensor, more particularly by a gravity sensor, as a result of a detection of an acceleration of a section or a reference point of a wall or a panel (3) of the household appliance (1).

The present disclosure relates to an induction heating device and a control method thereof. An induction heating device of one embodiment may comprise: an inverter circuit supplying electric currents to a working coil; a driving circuit supplying a switching signal to the inverter circuit, based on a control signal; an output detector detecting an output of the working coil; and a controller setting on-time of the working coil based on a current output of the working coil and controlling the output of the working coil, in a low-level operation in which a target output is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

Cookware, and an induction cooking system including the cookware, include a container, a base layer, and a susceptor layer. The container and the base layer are non-magnetic at room temperature, while the susceptor layer is magnetic at room temperature and has a Curie temperature at which the susceptor layer becomes non-magnetic. During heating of a material within the container, the base layer functions as a passive heat exchange to transfer heat across the susceptor layer. Further, during the heating, the base layer conducts an electric current when the susceptor layer approaches a leveling temperature and/or the Curie temperature of the susceptor layer, thereby decreasing an amount of heat produced and resulting in a more even heating of the material.

A cooking appliance apparatus includes a first inverter, a second inverter, a first inductor, a set of further inductors including a first further inductor and a second further inductor, and a switching arrangement configured such as to allocate in an operating state the first inverter to the inductor and to allocate the second inverter in the operating state to an arbitrary one of the first and second further inductors of the set of further inductors.

An induction cooking hob and a method for heating food as well as a computer program product are disclosed. Based on information of a micro-electromechanical system (1500) in combination with a temperature sensor associated to a heating zone, vibrations can be detected and a heating zone associated with the boiling substance can be properly discriminated from one supporting a pot having a non-boiling substance in it. Subsequent simmering of the substance can be automatically effected. An indication will be provided to a user (1680), and an automated function can be started (1610) including boiling and subsequent simmering, respectively indication of a boiling substance on any of the heating zones on an induction hob (1000).

The invention relates to an induction hob comprising: a hob plate (2); two or more induction coils (3) arranged below the hob plate in order to form heating zones (4) at the hob plate (2); one or more pot detection sensors (5), the pot detection sensors (5) being at least partially placed between a pair of adjacent induction coils (3); wherein the pot detection sensor (5) is a strip-shaped sensor extending in a space between said pair of adjacent induction coils (3) and the pot detection sensor (5) is coupled with an evaluation unit (8) adapted to determine information regarding the coverage of the pot detection sensor (5).

A cooking system includes a placement unit which has a food-holding element and a heating unit for heating the food-holding element. An induction unit provides in at least one operating state an amount of heating energy for inductively heating the food-holding element. The heating unit includes a heating element which is different from an induction heating element and is provided for heating the food-holding element.

The present invention relates to a cooking hob for a domestic or an industrial appliance. The cooking hob comprises at least one heating area (10). The heating area (10) is subdivided or divisible into at least two adjacent heating zones (12, 14, 16). Each heating zone (12, 14, 16) includes at least one heating element (20, 22, 24, 26). The temperature of each heating zone (12, 14, 16) is separately adjusted or adjustable by the user or predefined by the producer. A cookware item (18) is placeable on one heating zone (12, 14, 16) or on more adjacent heating zones (12, 14, 16).

The invention relates to a method for determining properties of the electrical current provided to an induction heating element (2) of an induction cooking appliance (1), the induction cooking appliance (1) comprising a heating power energy unit (3) including a heating power generator (4) with at least one switching element (5) adapted to provide pulsed electric power to said induction heating element (2), the induction cooking appliance (1) further comprising an oscillating circuit (6) comprising at least one resonance capacitor (6.1, 6.2), said induction heating element (2) being electrically coupled with said heating power generator (4) and said oscillating circuit (6), the induction cooking appliance (1) further comprising a control entity (8), wherein an input of a measurement circuit (9) is coupled with a node of the heating power energy unit (3).