Patent ID: 8890034

Claim:
A device for regulating power to a cooking appliance, comprising: a control module interposed between an electrical power source and the appliance, the control module being operable to regulate electrical current to the appliance from the power source, wherein said electrical current regulation comprises at least one of reducing the electrical current, cycling the electrical current and cutting off the electrical current to the appliance; a smoke sensor positioned in a path of smoke generated during use of the cooking appliance, the smoke sensor being operable to measure a level of smoke indicative of a risk of fire; and a motion sensor operably positioned to detect one of human presence and human absence of an appliance operator; whereby, when the smoke sensor measures a first range of smoke level, electrical current regulation is not performed; whereby, when the smoke sensor measures a second range of smoke level and the motion sensor detects human absence for a first pre-selected period of time, the control module regulates the electrical current to the appliance; whereby, when the smoke sensor measures a third range of smoke level and the motion sensor detects human absence is detected by the motion sensor, the control module regulates the electrical current to the appliance; and whereby, when the smoke sensor measures the third range of smoke level and the motion sensor detects human presence for a second pre-selected period of time, the control module regulates the electrical current to the appliance.