Programmable multi-function feedback cooking apparatus

Claim 1

Programmable feedback cooking apparatus for controlling the temperature of foodstuff in at least one vessel adapted for being heated by a selected heat generating means and comprising: temperature transducing means mounted in the vessel to be removably disposed in direct heat exchange relationships with said foodstuff or fluid in said vessel for generating a first electrical input signal proportional to the temperature of the foodstuff; analog-to-digital converter means coupled with saud transducer for receiving said first electrical input signal and translating it into a digital input signal corresponding with the magnitude of said first electrical signal; actuating means including a plurality of switching means selectively actuatable to generate selected temperature signals corresponding to a predetermined food temperature; central processing means, including programming means, coupled to said converter means and responsive to the difference between said digital input signals and said selected temperature signals, said programming means generating corresponding digital output signals in accordance with a selected mathematical relationship between said difference between said digital input signal and said selected temperature signals, and said digital output signal; digital-to-analog converter means coupled with said processing means and responsive to said digital output signal to generate a corresponding analog signal; and proportional control means coupled with said converter means, the heat generating means and said central processing means and responsive to the magnitude of said analog signal to proportionally vary the magnitude of energy introduced by said heat generating means to thereby control the heat applied to said vessel in accordance with said mathematical relationship based on the difference between the temperature selected on said actuating means and the actual temperature of said foodstuff or fluid as sensed by said transducer.