Interface for controlling energy application apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016309548-A1
Application number	US-201615196260-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 29, 2016
Priority date	Feb 11, 2011
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus that processes food placed in a cavity by heating, cooking, or defrosting. The heating, cooking, or defrosting includes processing with RF energy that is resonant in the cavity. A sensor captures an image of food to be processed in the cavity. A display displays to a user the image, including at least a first portion of the food and a second portion of the food. An input indicates via the display that the first portion of the food is to be processed to obtain a first processing result and the second portion of the food is to be processed to obtain a second processing result. Processing information is generated for processing the food with RF energy resonant in the cavity to achieve a first processing result in the first portion of the food and a second processing result in the second portion of the food.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for processing food placed in a cavity by heating, cooking, or defrosting the food, the heating, the cooking, or the defrosting comprising processing with RF energy that is resonant in the cavity, the apparatus comprising:
a sensor for capturing an image of food to be processed in the cavity; a display for displaying to a user the image, the image including at least a first portion of the food and a second portion of the food; an input for indicating via the display that the first portion of the food is to be processed to obtain a first processing result and the second portion of the food is to be processed to obtain a second processing result; and at least one processor configured to: receive information based on input provided to the input; and generate, based on the received information, processing information for use in processing the food with RF energy resonant in the cavity to achieve a first processing result in the first portion of the food and a second processing result in the second portion of the food.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image of the food is generated based on visible light or infrared radiation received from the food in the cavity.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image of the food includes a graphical image generated based on one or more values indicative of RF energy absorption in the food at each of a plurality of radio frequencies.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , where the one or more values indicative of RF energy absorption of the food at each of the plurality of radio frequencies provide a spatial absorption value.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image of the food is based on a temperature profile associated with the food.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing information includes
a target amount of energy to be dissipated in at least the first portion of the food or the second portion of the food.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing information includes
a target temperature profile of at least the first portion of the food or the second portion of the food

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing information includes
a desired degree of doneness of at least the first portion of the food or the second portion of the food.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing information includes
a number of cooking units to be applied to at least the first portion of the food or the second portion of the food.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input provided to the input indicates that the first portion of the food is to be processed differently from the second portion of the food.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a touch screen configured to allow the user to designate the first portion of the food and the second portion of the food via input provided through the touch screen.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 :
wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause, based on the generated processing information, application to the food of RF energy that is resonant in the cavity so that the first processing result is achieved in the first portion of the food and the second processing result is achieved in the second portion of the food.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause application of a plurality of electromagnetic field patterns to the food in the cavity.

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to correlate between locations associated with the food in the image and locations associated with the food in the cavity.

15 . A method of processing food in a cavity, the processing comprising heating, defrosting, or cooking the food and uses RF energy that is resonant in the cavity, the method comprising:
capturing an image of the food in the cavity; displaying to a user the image, the image including at least a first portion of the food and a second portion of the food; and receiving information relating to processing instructions from the user via a user interface, wherein the information relating to processing instructions indicates that the first portion of the food is to be processed to obtain a first processing result and the second portion of the food is to be processed to obtain a second processing result; and applying RF energy to cavity based on the information.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the user interface comprises a display, on which the image is displayed to the user.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the image comprises
an optical image, generated based on visual light received from the cavity.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the image comprises
a graphical image, generated based on one or more values indicative of EM energy absorption in the food.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the image comprises
a temperature profile, associating differing portions of the food in the cavity with different temperatures.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the information relating to processing instructions includes
a target amount of energy to be dissipated in at least a portion of the food.

21 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the information relating to processing instructions includes
a target temperature profile of at least a portion of the food.

22 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the information relating to processing instructions includes
a desired degree of doneness of at least a portion of the food.

23 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the information relating to processing instructions includes
a number of cooking units to be applied to at least a portion of the food.

24 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising correlating between locations associated with the food in the image and locations associated with the food in the cavity.

25 . The method of claim 18 further comprising:
applying a plurality of electromagnetic field patterns to the food in the cavity;
determining an amount of power dissipated in the food for each of the plurality of field patterns; and
determining the one or more values indicative of energy absorption based on the amount of power dissipated in the food for each of the plurality of field patterns.

26 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the information relating to processing instructions indicates that the first portion of the food is to be processed differently from the second portion of the food.

Assignees

• Goji Ltd

Inventors

• Libman Avner
• Torres Eyal
• Ron Amichai
• Rogers Steven
• Atzmony Daniella
• Gelbart Eliezer

Classifications

• H05B6/6455

  the sensors being infrared detectors · CPC title

• H05B6/705

  using microwave tuning · CPC title

• H05B6/687

  for cooking · CPC title

• H05B6/6435 Primary

  Aspects relating to the user interface of the microwave heating apparatus · CPC title

• H05B6/688

  for thawing · CPC title