Apparatus and method for sensing and processing by RF

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10244585-B2
Application number	US-201415027343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2014
Priority date	Oct 7, 2013
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

A disclosed apparatus for sensing and processing an object in a cavity ( 104 ) comprises a sensing RF source ( 110 ) and a sensing antenna ( 112 ), and a processing RF source ( 120 ) and a processing antenna ( 122 ). The sensing RF source is configured to generate low power RF radiation at a first frequency range and the sensing antenna is configured to feed the cavity with RF radiation generated by the low power RF source. The processing RF source is configured to generate high power RF radiation at a second frequency range, and the processing antenna is configured to feed the cavity with RF radiation generated by the processing RF source. A protecting system ( 130 ) configured to protect the sensing RF source from RF radiation generated by the processing RF source may be provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of heating at least two different materials held in at least two different parts of a container placed in a cavity, comprising:
(a) applying to the cavity low power RF radiation at a first frequency range;
(b) receiving RF radiation returning from the cavity at the first frequency range; and
(c) selecting, based on the received RF radiation, at least two sets of processing instructions for heating the at least two different materials,
wherein the at least two sets of processing instructions are selected from a plurality of sets of processing instructions, comprising a first set of processing instructions that when executed mainly heats a first part of the container and a second set of processing instructions that when executed mainly heats a second part of the container.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sets of processing instructions comprises at least one processing instructions that when executed heats the first and second parts substantially to a same degree.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the two sets of processing instructions comprises:
applying high power RF energy at a frequency within a second frequency range, different from the first frequency range.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein a lowest frequency of the first frequency range is higher than a highest frequency of the second frequency range.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein each of the two sets of processing instruction comprises: at least one excitation setup associated with a duration, a power level, or a duration and a power level for applying each of the at least one excitation setup.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein a lowest frequency in the first frequency range is higher than a highest frequency in the second frequency range by at least 500 MHz.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the processing instructions comprise:
applying each frequency through a plurality of antennas during overlapping time periods.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein the RF energy applied in high power is at least 10 times higher than the RF energy applied at low power.

9. The method of claim 2 , comprising determining a target temperature and automatically repeating steps (a), (b) and (c), until a temperature of the first or second part of the container reaches a target temperature.

10. The method of claim 2 , comprising:
determining a target temperature for each of the first and second parts of the container; and
automatically repeating steps (a), (b) and (c) until each first and second part of the container reaches the target temperature determined.

11. An apparatus for heating at least two different materials held in at least two different parts of a container placed in a cavity, comprising:
a memory storing a plurality of processing instructions comprising:
a first processing instruction, associated with a first part of the container, that when executed mainly heats the first part of the container, and
a second processing instruction, associated with a second part of the container, that when executed mainly heats the second part of the container; and

a processor configured to:
cause application of RF energy to the cavity at frequencies of a first frequency range, wherein the RF energy is applied at low power;
receive signals indicative of RF radiation returning from the cavity at the frequencies of the first frequency range;
select, based on the received signals, one or more processing instruction from the plurality of processing instructions stored in the memory for heating at least one of the at least two different materials; and
cause application of the selected one or more processing instructions.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising a sensing RF source and a sensing antenna to apply RF energy at low power and at the first frequency range, and receive a feedback in response to the application of the RF energy at the frequencies of the first frequency range.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a processing RF source and a processing antenna to apply to the cavity RF energy at high power and at frequencies of a second frequency range.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the RF energy applied in high power is applied at power level at least 10 times higher than a power level at which RF energy is applied at low power.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processor is programmed to operate an RF processing source based on the signals received in response to the application of the RF energy at the first frequency range by an RF sensing source.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , comprising an interface configured to receive input indicative of an identification of the container, and the processor is configured to receive from the interface data indicative of the input, and programmed to select the processing instructions based on;
the signals received in response to the application of the RF energy at the frequencies of the first frequency range by an RF sensing source; and
the input received from the interface.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the interface includes a reader for a machine readable data carrier.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the machine readable data carrier carries machine readable data encoding identity data.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the machine readable data carrier carries data allowing access to a memory remote from the apparatus and retrieving data indicative of the identity data from the memory remote from the apparatus.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor is programmed to determine a target temperature range, and to operate the RF sensing source and the RF processing source until the feedback received is indicative of a temperature being within the target temperature range.

21. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the frequencies at the first range include frequencies outside ISM bands, and the frequencies in the second frequency range include only frequencies within ISM bands.

22. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the cavity comprises dielectric material shaped to receive therein the container.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the dielectric material has a dielectric constant of between 3 and 10.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the dielectric material has a loss tangent smaller than 0.01.

Assignees

• Goji Ltd
• Elboim Ram
• Chaimov Itzhak
• Cohen Ronen
• Zickel Ben
• Berezin Maksim
• Maron Coby
• Burnstein Amir

Inventors

• Elboim Ram
• Chaimov Itzhak
• Cohen Ronen
• Zickel Ben
• Berezin Maksim
• Maron Coby
• Burnstein Amir

Classifications

• H05B2206/044

  Microwave heating devices provided with two or more magnetrons or microwave sources of other kind · CPC title

• H05B6/76

  Prevention of microwave leakage, e.g. door sealings · CPC title

• H05B6/686

  Circuits comprising a signal generator and power amplifier, e.g. using solid state oscillators · CPC title

• H05B6/68

  for monitoring or control · CPC title

• H05B6/645

  using temperature sensors · CPC title