Patent ID: 7467639

Claim:
A method for controlling a motion of a gas valve in a gas feed line coupling a supply device to a burner, the method comprising: providing a controller; operatively coupling a selector to the controller; operatively coupling a conducting medium between the controller and the gas valve, wherein the conducting medium has an operating current; receiving a signal at the controller from the selector representative of a user-selected desired level of heat output of the burner; translating the received signal to a first current signal; measuring a second current signal in the conducting medium, wherein the second current signal is based on the operating current of the conducting medium; receiving the second current signal at the controller; determining a third current signal using a plurality of selectable formulas, wherein a selection of a formula from the plurality of selectable formulas is based on a comparison of the second current signal and at least one of the first current signal and a tolerance band defined around the first current signal, said determining a third current signal comprising: multiplying a slope factor by a difference between the second current signal and the first current signal; using a first selectable formula of the plurality of selectable formulas to determine the third current signal by subtracting a result of the multiplication from the first current signal if the second current signal is greater than the sum of the first current signal and the tolerance band; using a second selectable formula of the plurality of selectable formulas to determine the third current signal by adding a result of the multiplication to the first current signal if the second current signal is less than the difference between the first current signal and the tolerance band; and using a third selectable formula of the plurality of selectable formulas to determine the third current signal by setting the third current signal equal to the first current signal if the second current signal is within the tolerance band; and providing the third current signal to the conducting medium to change the operating current of the conducting medium to control the motion of the gas valve to change a heat output of the burner.