Food preparation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11057968-B2
Application number	US-201213662067-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2012
Priority date	Feb 21, 2006
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

Devices and methods for RF heating of food, using techniques which allow uniformity and/or controlled non-uniformity.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a radio frequency (RF) heating device to heat an object in a cavity, the RF heating device comprising a plurality of antennas configured to feed RF energy into the cavity, the method comprising:
applying, via the plurality of antennas, RF energy at a plurality of frequencies to the cavity according to a heating profile;
receiving feedback from the cavity in response to application of the RF energy, wherein the feedback includes at least one of:
feedback indicating an RF energy absorption efficiency by the object at each of the plurality of frequencies;
feedback indicating power coupled from one of the plurality of antennas to another one of the plurality of antennas;
feedback indicating an RF energy return loss at each of the plurality of frequencies;
feedback indicating an RF energy transfer coefficient of the cavity; or
feedback indicating s-parameters as a function of frequency; and

changing the heating profile based on the feedback by changing at least a phase of an input signal provided to at least one of the plurality of antennas.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of antennas are configured as an antenna array.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
controlling an RF energy application time of the antennas in the antenna array individually to match a desired RF driving profile.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
applying the RF energy by applying RF radiation at the plurality of frequencies; and
receiving the feedback resulting from application of the RF radiation at one or more of the plurality of frequencies.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
determining the RF energy absorption efficiency by the object based on the feedback.

6. The method of claim 5 , comprising:
changing, based on the determined RF energy absorption efficiency, at least one of: frequencies to transmit RF energy and corresponding power levels, an index to or a table of frequency/power/time triplets, a quantity of inputs to use, a phase of at least one input, a position of the object in the cavity, or a movement of the object in the cavity.

7. A method of controlling a radio frequency (RF) heating oven to cook a food product, the RF heating oven comprising an antenna array, the method comprising:
heating the food product using the RF heating oven;
receiving RF feedback on a heating process from the RF heating oven; and
automatically changing a heating profile of the RF heating oven in response to the RF feedback by changing at least a phase of an input signal provided to the antenna array.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the RF feedback includes at least one of:
power reflected at at least one antenna of the antenna array; or
power coupled from one antenna of the antenna array to another antenna of the antenna array.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feedback includes feedback indicating the RF energy absorption efficiency by the object at each of the plurality of frequencies.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feedback includes feedback indicating the power coupled from one of the plurality of antennas to another one of the plurality of antennas.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feedback includes feedback indicating the RF energy return loss at each of the plurality of frequencies.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feedback includes feedback indicating the RF energy transfer coefficient of the cavity.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feedback includes feedback indicating the s-parameters as a function of frequency.

14. A method for controlling a radio frequency (RF) heating device to heat an object in a cavity, the RF heating device comprising a plurality of antennas configured to feed RF energy into the cavity, the method comprising:
applying, via the plurality of antennas, RF energy at a plurality of frequencies to the cavity according to a heating profile;
receiving feedback from the cavity in response to application of the RF energy, wherein the feedback does not include temperature measurements; and
changing the heating profile based on the feedback that does not include temperature measurements by changing at least a phase of an input signal provided to at least one of the plurality of antennas.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the feedback includes feedback indicating an RF energy absorption efficiency by the object at each of the plurality of frequencies.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the feedback includes feedback indicating power coupled from one of the plurality of antennas to another one of the plurality of antennas.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the feedback includes feedback indicating an RF energy return loss at each of the plurality of frequencies.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the feedback includes feedback indicating an RF energy transfer coefficient of the cavity.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the feedback includes feedback indicating s-parameters as a function of frequency.

20. The method of claim 14 , comprising:
determining an RF energy absorption efficiency by the object based on the feedback.

21. The method of claim 20 , comprising:
changing, based on the determined RF energy absorption efficiency, at least one of: frequencies to transmit RF energy and corresponding power levels, an index to or a table of frequency/power/time triplets, a quantity of inputs to use, a phase of at least one input, a position of the object in the cavity, or a movement of the object in the cavity.

22. The method of claim 14 , wherein the RF heating device is an RF heating oven and the object is a food product.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of frequencies are between 300 MHz and 3 GHz.

24. The method of claim 7 , wherein the RF feedback is received at frequencies between 300 MHz and 3 GHz.

25. The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of frequencies are between 300 MHz and 3 GHz.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cavity is a resonator and the plurality of antennas include at least one feed to the resonator, and wherein the feedback is received by a controller and includes power measurement signals corresponding to sampled power both into and out of the at least one feed to the resonator.

27. The method of claim 14 , wherein the cavity is a resonator and the plurality of antennas include at least one feed to the resonator, and wherein the feedback is received by a controller and includes power measurement signals corresponding to sampled power both into and out of the at least one feed to the resonator.

Assignees

• Ben Shmuel Eran
• Bilchinsky Alexander
• Damari Udi
• Einav Omer
• Rousso Benny
• Ben Haim Shlomo
• Goji Ltd

Inventors

• Ben-Shmuel Eran
• Bilchinsky Alexander
• Damari Udi
• Einav Omer
• Rousso Benny
• Ben-Haim Shlomo

Classifications

• A23B2/805

  Materials not being transported through or in the apparatus with or without shaping, e.g. in the form of powders, granules or flakes · CPC title

• A23B2/82

  Thawing subsequent to freezing · CPC title

• A23B2/50

  by irradiation without heating · CPC title

• A23B2/08

  using microwaves or dielectric heating · CPC title

• H05B6/645

  using temperature sensors · CPC title