METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A COOKING APPLIANCE, AND COOKING APPLIANCE

Abstract

A method for controlling a cooking appliance using a mobile terminal that is separate from the cooking appliance, both of which have a controller and a BLE communication device, involves the following steps being performed: switching on the cooking appliance and the terminal, setting up a communication link between the two by means of a specified user process on the cooking appliance or on the terminal and confirming the set-up of the communication link by means of a user process by the user on the cooking appliance. A signal strength of the communication link between the two communication devices at the time of confirmation of the communication link on the cooking appliance is stored and is monitored during use. If the signal strength drops below a prescribed signal strength limit value, then user commands from the mobile terminal are blocked.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a cooking appliance using a mobile terminal, wherein said mobile terminal is separate from said cooking appliance, wherein said cooking appliance comprises at least one heating device, at least one user element for input of user commands by a user, a controller, a communication device for wireless communication with said mobile terminal, wherein said mobile terminal comprises a communication device, a controller, an input device for input of user commands by a user, and wherein said method comprises: switching on said cooking appliance or said mobile terminal; setting up a communication link between said cooking appliance and said mobile terminal by means of a specified user process; confirming a set-up of a communication link by means of a user process by said user on said cooking appliance; storing a signal strength of said communication link between said communication device of said cooking appliance and said communication device of said mobile terminal at a time of confirmation of said communication link on said cooking appliance; monitoring a current signal strength of said communication link on said cooking appliance or of said signal strength of user commands sent by said mobile terminal by radio while said communication link exists; using said cooking appliance by means of said mobile terminal by virtue of input of user commands on said mobile terminal by said user; and blocking user commands from said mobile terminal and/or disconnecting said communication link between said cooking appliance and said mobile terminal in an event of said signal strength of said communication link and/or of a received user command from said mobile terminal to said cooking appliance dropping below a prescribed signal strength limit value.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said specified user process is on said cooking appliance and/or on said mobile terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a signal user command or operation of a single user element is sufficient for said specified user process for setting up said communication link between said cooking appliance and said mobile terminal.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein operation of a single user element on both said cooking appliance and said mobile terminal is sufficient for said specified user process for setting up said communication link between said cooking appliance and said mobile terminal.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said confirmation of said set-up of said communication link and/or said disconnection of said communication link are indicated visually and/or audibly.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said confirmation of said set-up of said communication link and/or said disconnection of said communication link are indicated at least on said mobile terminal.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a status of said cooking appliance is indicated on said mobile terminal.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said status of said cooking appliance is indicated on said mobile terminal relating to said heating device or functional unit controllable using said mobile terminal.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein after said communication link has been disconnected on account of excessively fallen signal strength, said communication link is restorable only by means of a method corresponding to said first set-up of said communication link.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a signal change of more than 7 dBm max. as a prescribed signal strength limit value disconnects said communication link.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said signal strength limit value is no more than 50% of said signal strength at said time of said confirmation of said communication link on said cooking appliance.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said signal strength limit value is no more than 20% of said signal strength at said time of said confirmation of said communication link on said cooking appliance.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said prescribed confirmation time for confirming said set-up of a communication link is no more than 10 sec.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said prescribed confirmation time for confirming said set-up of a communication link is no more than 3 sec.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein said communication link is designed according to the Bluetooth standard.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said communication link is designed according to the BLE standard.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein said communication link is set up as a result of performance of a user command for said cooking appliance on said mobile terminal, wherein subsequent to said inevitably following confirmation of said set-up of the communication link on said cooking appliance, said initiating user command is also performed immediately on said cooking appliance.

18. A cooking appliance, comprising a communication device and a controller that are designed for performing said method according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are depicted schematically in the drawings and are explained in more detail below. In the drawings:

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a schematic depiction of use of a hob with a mobile phone as the terminal; and

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a depiction of a state machine in order to depict the sequence of the method and the operation of the controller.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] FIG. 1 depicts a hob 11 according to the invention as a cooking appliance in a very highly schematic manner. A top or a hob plate 12 of the hob has multiple heating devices 13 that are actuated and supplied with power, and can therefore be operated, by a power actuating circuit 15 in the hob. The power actuating circuit 15 is connected to a controller 17 of the hob 11. The controller 17 may be a central controller for the whole hob 11 and, by way of example, can actuate a user element 18 of a user device and also a visual indicator 19 atop the hob 11. Naturally, as is standard in modern cooking appliances and hobs, there may be also provision for substantially more user elements and visual indicators of modern design.

[0027] The controller 17 is connected to a communication device 21 along with the antenna 22, which operates according to the Bluetooth standard, advantageously even according to the BLE standard, that is to say at low power. This serves the aforementioned purpose of a type of distance determination or determination of a particular minimum distance or limit distance in the range of a few metres, for example 5 m to 10 m, being better possible by virtue of monitoring of the signal strength. Alternatively, it could operate according to the ZigBee standard or another similar radio protocol.

[0028] Furthermore, FIG. 1 shows a mobile phone 25 as the mobile terminal according to the invention. The mobile phone 25 is in the form of a smartphone and contains not only a standard controller 27 but also a communication device 29 along with the antenna 30, which is also designed according to the Bluetooth standard or advantageously the BLE standard.

[0029] In the depiction that can be seen here, the mobile phone 25 is located within a distance d from the hob 11 or, to be precise, the antennas 22 and 30 are at this distance from one another. Owing to the known limited device dimensions of the hob 11 and the mobile phone 25, this is irrelevant, however.

[0030] The state machine according to FIG. 2 more or less schematically shows the sequence of the method according to the invention, or the sequence can be comprehended therefrom. At the beginning, the hob 11 and the mobile phone 25 are on and are intended to connect to one another, for example on the basis of user control on the mobile telephone 25, for control purposes. If a device that is ready to connect is not found by the hob 11, then the rightward arrow shows that a connection is awaited at that point. The user element 18 on the hob 11 can then be operated as “P”, for example for a time between 5 sec and 10 sec, so that the hob enters a mode for connection set-up and attempts to set up a connection to a mobile terminal. If this is not possible within a time of 5 min, for example, then the controller returns after the timeout and waits, as it were, for the user element 18 to be operated again for a new search, if need be. If the connection to the mobile phone 25 is successful as the box to the right thereof, then set-up of the communication link starts and moves to the large box at the top left. The set-up of the communication link is attempted so long as one of the following events occurs. The user element 18 is pushed as “P” again for a time longer than 10 sec, for example then the connection to the mobile phone 25 is disconnected again, as shown by the curved upward arrow. Possible confirmation on the mobile phone 25 and confirms the communication link, which then exists as the box at the bottom left. If the user element 18 is then operated for more than 0.3 sec, for example, then the method moves to the box to the right thereof, that is to say at the bottom centre. The communication link has then been set up and the hob 11 can be used using the mobile telephone 25, as shown by the box at the bottom right. It is possible for hotplates of the hob to be switched on and off and for the powers thereof to be adjusted and altered, for example. So long as there is a signal strength RSSI at the communication device 21 on the hob 11 below the cited signal strength limit value RSSI.sub.max, the communication link is active and the hob 11 can be used using the mobile terminal. The hob 11 can have either all or at least many functions confirmed from the mobile phone 25, particularly including power adjustment, switching-on and switching-off of heating devices 13. For other radio protocols, it would be a signal strength limit value with a different name.

[0031] If the communication link is not confirmed by the mobile phone 25, however, then the method returns to the box at the bottom left. Although the two devices are then connected to one another, this is not such that the communication link is functional for desired usability.

[0032] As has been described above, the communication link could also be disconnected again in this state by virtue of operation of the user element for a long period, for example more than 10 sec, or, as depicted here, user commands from the mobile phone 25 are blocked when a connection exists per se. By operating the user element for more than 10 sec, it is also possible to decouple or disconnect all known and connected external devices. The hob 11 then enters a state in which no further external use is possible and also no further status information is sent. Only fresh initiation of the coupling process or connection process reactivates the communication device 21.

[0033] At the time of confirmation of the communication link, the signal strength RSSI at the hob 11 or at the communication device 21 is measured. Furthermore, an aforementioned signal strength limit value RSSI.sub.max is defined, for example as no more than 50% or even no more than 20% of the signal strength at the time of confirmation of the communication link, as mentioned previously. Alternatively, a signal change of more than preferably 5 dBm or 7 dBm can block the commands or disconnect the communication link. This signal strength is measured continuously. So long as the signal strength does not change significantly, for example because the user with the mobile phone 25 is close to the hob 11 or at least the mobile phone 25 is close to the hob 11, that is to say that the distance d is short, the communication link is maintained, and the hob 11 can be controlled using the mobile phone 25. If a user moves far away, for example including out of a room, while the mobile phone 25 is located statically next to the hob 11, this does not result in the communication link being disconnected or in the commands being blocked. Although the user cannot monitor the state of the hob 11, at the same time he also cannot enter any user commands on it or change its operating state.

[0034] If the signal strength drops below the aforementioned signal strength limit value or changes too greatly, then the communication link is disconnected and it is at least no longer possible for the hob to be controlled using the mobile phone 25. User commands from the mobile phone 25 to the hob 11 are then simply blocked by the controller 17. Maintaining the communication link while simultaneously blocking user commands has the advantage that it is then a simple matter for the communication link to be restored or for user commands no longer to be blocked. This then merely requires the user element 18 to be operated again as “P”, for example again for a time of shorter than 5 sec. In this way, the user signals that he is now close to the hob 11 again and has control again. However, it is possible for status information such as a set power or running timer of the hob 11 to continue to be indicated on the mobile phone 25, even if the external control by the mobile phone is no longer possible.

[0035] On such blocking of user commands owing to a drop below the signal strength limit value RSSI.sub.max, the method returns from the box at the bottom far right to the box at the bottom far left. As a result of the described fresh operation of the user element 25 as “P” for a time shorter than 3 sec, which may also be necessary as a further safety function within 5 min, 10 min or 20 min, for example, the method again moves to the box at the bottom far right and hence to the previous controllability of the hob 11 by means of the mobile phone 25.