Thermally convertible food presentation modules are described. A single module may be used for both heating and refrigeration of foodstuffs as desired at any given time. Any well of a module may be switched between heating and cooling of food regardless of the status of any other well of the module.

A portable water bottle has a bottle body, a lid assembly detachably connected to an upper end of the bottle body, a filter mounted in the lid assembly, a base detachably connected to a lower end of the bottle body, a temperature control module mounted in the base, and a power module mounted in the base. Liquid stored in the bottle body can be filtered by the filter when being poured out of the bottle body, so as to allow a user can drink the liquid directly and immediately. Moreover, the temperature control module is capable of heating or cooling down the liquid in the bottle body, so as to provide the user with the liquid having the temperature that is suitable for ambient it temperature or physical conditions of the user.

An electric heater includes a substrate, a first outer pattern part disposed on one surface of the substrate and to connect with a pair of first electrodes, a second outer pattern part to connect with the pair of first electrodes in parallel with the first outer pattern part and to be spaced apart from the first outer pattern part, and an inner pattern part disposed on one surface of the substrate so as to be located such that the first outer pattern part and the second outer pattern part surround the inner pattern part, to be spaced apart from the first outer pattern part and the second outer pattern part, and to connect with a pair of second electrodes spaced apart from the pair of first electrodes.

Provided are entropy encoding and entropy decoding for video encoding and decoding. The video entropy decoding method includes: determining a bin string and a bin index for a maximum coding unit that is obtained from a bitstream; determining a value of a syntax element by comparing the determined bin string with bin strings that is assignable to the syntax element in the bin index; storing context variables for the maximum coding unit when the syntax element is a last syntax element in the maximum coding unit, a dependent slice segment is includable in a picture in which the maximum coding unit is included, and the maximum coding unit is a last maximum coding unit in a slice segment; and restoring symbols of the maximum coding unit by using the determined value of the syntax element.

The heater bag for bakery products comprises a flexible or semi-rigid casing defining a bottom (111), side walls (110), an opening (112), and means (113) for selectively closing the opening (112). At least one semi-flexible heater plate (121, 122) having an electrical heater element (141, 142) incorporated therein is itself inserted in a pocket of natural material comprising cotton, flax, and wool, said pocket constituting a portion of the flexible or semi-rigid casing of the bag. For each heater plate (121, 122), the heating power per cm.sup.2 lies in the range 0.13 W to 0.24 W.

A cooking apparatus includes a dual-chamber container with an inner container for holding a food item to be cooked and an outer container for maintaining contact between a temperature-controlled heat transfer liquid and the inner container while the food is being cooked. The dual-chamber container includes an inlet fluid port and outflow fluid port which may be coupled directly to corresponding fluid port connectors on a temperature control unit, or an intervening fluid coupling assembly may convey heat transfer liquid between the control unit and the dual-chamber container. Some control units are adapted to simultaneously control cooking temperature for more than one dual-chamber container. Some dual-chamber containers have a flexible inner container that is separable from an outer container which may be a rigid container or a flexible container.

The invention relates to a handle for a cooking vessel that includes at least one thermoelectric generator thermally connected to a heat sink. The invention is characterised in that the handle has an inner cavity that extends longitudinally over at least one third of the length of the handle, and the heat sink extends longitudinally inside the cavity through at least two thirds of the length thereof.

A wireless temperature maintenance container has an accommodating space accommodating a transmitter circuit and a receiver circuit. The transmitter circuit comprises a first power processing circuit and a transmitter coil. The first power processing circuit receives a utility power and outputs a first direct current. The transmitter coil receives the first direct current and generates a magnetic field. The receiver circuit comprises a receiver coil, a second power processing circuit and a temperature controller. The magnetic field passes the receiver coil and an alternating current is generated. The second power processing circuit receives the alternating current and outputs a second direct current. The temperature controller receives the second direct current to control the temperature of the container. The transmitter circuit is on the first circuit board, and the receiver circuit is on the second circuit board. Distance between the first circuit board and the second board is 2 mm˜4 mm.

A portable refrigerator assembly includes a refrigerator that has a box and a door that is hingedly coupled to the box. A plurality of feet is each coupled to and extends laterally away from the refrigerator for stabilizing the refrigerator on a support surface. A cooling unit is provided and the cooling unit is positioned in the refrigerator such that the cooling unit is in thermal communication with an interior of the refrigerator. In this way the cooling unit can cool the interior of the refrigerator. A pair of warming plates is each coupled to the refrigerator and a food item can be positioned on each of the warming plates. Additionally, each of the warming plates generates heat when the warming plates are turned on to warm the food item.

A location based holding system comprises a holding device. The holding device includes a food storage chamber and a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor senses the temperature of the food storage chamber. A temperature control device changes the temperature of the food storage chamber. A location device determines the physical location of the holding device. A memory stores information about a food item located in the food storage chamber. A processor is operatively coupled to the memory, location device, and holding device. The processor activates the temperature control device of the holding device based on the physical location of the food storage or transportation device.