A frequency reconfigurable phased array system comprises a signal generator outputting a power signal with an adjustable frequency, a plurality of radio frequency (RF) modules receiving the power signal, a control module generating excitation mode parameter sets and material processing event sets, a first database storing the excitation mode parameter sets, and a second database storing the material processing event sets. The control module generates a material processing schedule by selecting one of the material processing event sets based on a material recipe, an average power, and a total time of a material, and controls a signal frequency of the signal generator according to the material processing schedule and the excitation mode parameter sets, and a RF phase and a RF power of each of the RF modules, to have the RF modules generating a power signal.

A heating cooker of the present disclosure includes a heating chamber for accommodating a heating target; a heating unit; a control unit; a detection unit; an illumination unit; an image-capturing unit; a recognition processing unit; and a notification unit. The heating unit heats a heating target. The control unit controls heating by the heating unit. The detection unit detects opening/closing of a door of the heating chamber. The illumination unit illuminates an interior of the heating chamber. The image-capturing unit captures images of the interior of the heating chamber when the door is opened and closed. The recognition processing unit is operable to read the heating control information provided to the heating target from the captured images. When the recognition processing unit successfully reads the heating control information when the door is opened, the control unit causes the notification unit to notify success in reading the heating control information.

An apparatus comprises at least two cooking devices, a control unit, an input device and an output device. The control unit is adapted to determine if at least two of the foodstuffs to be cooked can be cooked in one of the cooking devices in an at least partly concurrent manner. Depending thereon, the control unit allocates the foodstuffs to be cooked to the cooking devices and outputs, via the output device, which of the foodstuffs can be cooked in which cooking device or in which cooking devices.

Systems and methods for user configurable cooking appliances include receiving system resources having associated budgets, facilitating user allocation the system resources to a plurality of heating elements without exceeding the associate budgets, applying the system resources to the heating elements to heat one or more food substances within a cooking chamber, and selectively regulating delivery of the system resources to the heating elements such that no more than the associated budget of each of the system resources is delivered to the heating elements. Computing components can execute a heating algorithm to cook at least one food substance in the cooking chamber, detect a state change of the food substance, and modify the heating algorithm to reconfigure the system resources supplied to the heating elements in response to the state change and in accordance with user configured allocation and associated budgets for the system resources.

A sound sensing module for monitoring the operation of an appliance includes a microphone for monitoring sound generated during operation of the appliance and a controller operably coupled to the microphone. The controller can obtain a sound signal generated during operation of the appliance, analyze the sound signal to identify a sound signature corresponding to an operating event, and implement a responsive action, such as providing a user notification, providing troubleshooting instructions, ordering a replacement part, scheduling a maintenance visit.

A food preparation system includes a food treatment unit having a food treatment function, a functional unit having an auxiliary function associated with the food treatment function, and a control unit provided to cause execution of a recipe and to control the food treatment function and the auxiliary function in an open-loop and/or closed-loop manner when guided by the recipe.

The use of heat is elemental in household applications, particularly in cooking apparatus, but they are not smart and automated, which often causes fires and other safety hazards. In fact, 42% of household fires are caused by cooking devices. In our modern household, all cooking devices require some kind of user input, such as time, temperature, food type etc. to determine how long to cook, often resulting in under/overcooking due to human error. This invention demonstrates advanced thermopile assisted remote temperature detection technology in conjunction with controlled feedback systems to effectively cook food. Extending this with the use of a computing device and “Internet Of Things,” a revolutionary cooking apparatus has been devised that can automatically calculate & control the desired temperature of any food type & amount placed in the device without need of any user input. A working prototype has been created that includes all these features.

A method for operating a door assembly of an appliance, the door assembly including a display and being configured for providing selective access to a cavity of the appliance, the method including determining that the door has been shut, determining that an item is present within the cavity, determining that a primary application is displayed on the display, and displaying a control interface over a sub-portion of the application on the display when the application is displayed on the display.

A microwave cooking appliance for increasing visibility into the cooking cavity. The microwave cooking appliance may include a door. The door may include a conductive mesh layer. The door may include a frame supporting the conductive mesh layer. The door may include a conductive and/or sealing engagement between the conductive mesh layer and the frame. The door may include a leak detection device. The leak detection device may be adjacent the conductive and/or sealing engagement. The door may include a user interface display and/or a touch screen.

Disclosed herein is a terminal device and a cooking apparatus capable of guiding an arrangement of a food item in the cooking apparatus comprising a plurality of heat sources to form a plurality of cooking zones having different heating characteristics. The terminal device comprises an imaging device, a user interface provided to display an image captured through the imaging device and provided to receive an input from a user, and a controller configured, in response to determining that the captured image corresponds to an image of a cooking apparatus and in response to obtaining food item information from the user, to control the user interface to display an augmented reality (AR) image of the food item superimposed on a recommended cooking zone among a plurality of cooking zones of the cooking apparatus.