Electric heating – Microwave heating – With control system
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-20
2001-06-26
Leung, Philip H. (Department: 3742)
Electric heating
Microwave heating
With control system
C219S704000, C219S715000, C219S719000, C099S325000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06252213
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microwave oven, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for compensating cooking time of a microwave oven.
2. Description of the Related Art
A related art apparatus for compensating cooking time of a microwave oven will be described with reference to FIG.
1
.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, the related art apparatus for compensating cooking time of a microwave oven includes an input power part
1
, a voltage dividing resistor
2
, a regulated power circuit part
3
, a data input part
6
, a controller
4
, a load driver
7
, and a display part
5
. The input power part
1
converts commercial power to a predetermined operation voltage. The voltage dividing resistor
2
divides the operation voltage from the input power part
1
. The regulated power circuit part
3
uniformly maintains the operation voltage. A user selects a desired mode through the data input part
6
. The controller
4
controls cooking time in accordance with the mode selected by the data input part
6
. That is to say, the controller
4
receives the divided voltage from the voltage dividing resistor
2
to sense its voltage level and compensate cooking time, and outputs a corresponding control signal. The load driver
7
drives a load in accordance with the control signal. The display part
5
displays the operation state in accordance with the mode selected by the data input part
6
.
The operation of the related art apparatus for compensating cooking time of a microwave oven will be described.
The input power part
1
converts the commercial power to a predetermined operation voltage, i.e., low voltage. The voltage dividing resistor
2
includes a plurality of resistors R
1
and R
2
connected in parallel at both ports of the input power part
1
to divide the operation voltage. The regulated power circuit part
3
uniformly maintains the operation voltage to be applied as the driving power of the controller
4
.
If a user selects a menu through the data input part
6
, the controller
4
controls the load driver
7
in accordance with the selected menu to proceed with a cooking mode. At this time, the controller
4
receives the voltage divided by the resistors R
1
and R
2
through an A/D port to sense its level. Then, the controller
4
compares the sensed voltage level with a given reference voltage to compensate cooking time. The reference voltage means a voltage of which certain value is equally applied to microwave ovens without considering voltage variation at an output port of the input power part and deviation of the resistors.
However, the aforementioned related art apparatus for compensating cooking time of a microwave oven has several problems.
First, it is difficult to exactly determine actual voltage variation of input voltage variation due to voltage variation at the output port of the input power part and deviation of the resistors.
Despite errors occurred in the A/D port due to deviation of the resistors, the voltage of the A/D port is compared with the reference voltage commonly given to the products. This makes exact data difficult to sense.
Finally, cooking time is compensated by erroneously calculating due to errors generated by deviation of the resistors, thereby reducing cooking reliability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for compensating cooking time of a microwave oven, that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for compensating cooking time of a microwave oven, in which an input voltage applied when cooking begins, so that cooking time can be compensated in accordance with variation of the input voltage.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, an apparatus for compensating cooking time of a microwave oven according to the present invention includes: an input power part for converting a commercial power to a predetermined operation voltage; a voltage dividing resistor for dividing the operation voltage; a memory for setting a voltage of an A/D port as a reference voltage after the input voltage is intentionally regulated to a rated voltage in a state that power is applied or a load is driven, and storing the reference voltage; and a controller for comparing the reference voltage stored in the memory with the operation voltage divided by the voltage dividing resistor and currently applied, to compensate cooking time in accordance with a difference value between them.
In another aspect, a method for compensating cooking time of a microwave oven having a memory includes the steps of setting a reference voltage based on a rated voltage regulated in a state that power is applied or a load is driven and storing the reference voltage in the memory, checking a currently input voltage value, and calculating cooking time in accordance with a difference between the currently input voltage and the reference voltage.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5317133 (1994-05-01), Sundstrom et al.
patent: 5498858 (1996-03-01), Jeong
patent: 5506390 (1996-04-01), Seo
patent: 6066839 (2000-05-01), Park
Fleshner & Kim LLP
Leung Philip H.
LG Electronics Inc.
LandOfFree
Method and apparatus for compensating cooking time of... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for compensating cooking time of..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for compensating cooking time of... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2530028