Apparatus and method for applying RF energy to determine a processing state of an object placed in a cavity, during processing of the object. The method includes applying RF energy to the object during the processing via at least one radiating element, receiving RF feedback from in or around the cavity, said RF feedback being indicative of a dielectric response of the cavity and/or the object to electromagnetic (EM) fields excited in the cavity, mathematically manipulating the RF feedback to obtain computed RF feedback, determining one or more processing states of the object based on a correlation between the computed RF feedback and the one or more processing states of the object, and monitoring the computed RF feedback during the applying to monitor the one or more processing states of the object.

A method of treating a meat-substance containing a bone structure. The bone marrow is coagulated with microwaves generated by a solid-state RF energy source. The microwave heating may be carried out prior to a heat treatment of the meat-substance and/or may be carried out after slaughtering and before the fresh slaughtered meat-substance is frozen.

A wireless signal repeater includes an interior antenna located in an interior a cooking appliance, and an exterior antenna located outside the cooking appliance. A coupling portion connects the interior antenna to the exterior antenna through a hole in a wall of the cooking appliance for wirelessly retransmitting wireless signals received by the wireless signal repeater. According to another aspect, a cooking appliance includes a cooking chamber for cooking food, and an interior antenna located inside the cooking chamber. An exterior antenna is located on an exterior of the cooking appliance, and a coupling portion is configured to connect the interior antenna with the exterior antenna. According to another aspect, an aperture is located in a cooking chamber and a reflector is mounted over the aperture on an exterior of the cooking appliance and is configured to narrow a radiation pattern for wireless signals transmitted through the aperture.

Systems and methods include a cooking appliance comprising a heating element disposed within a cooking chamber and operable to selectively emit waves at any of a plurality of powers and/or peak wavelengths, a camera operable to capture an image of the cooking chamber, and a computing device operable to supply power to the heating element to vary the power and/or peak wavelength of the emitted waves and generate heat within the cooking chamber, and instruct the camera to capture the image when the heating element is emitting at a stabilized power and/or peak wavelength. The computing device is operable to generate an adjusted captured image by adjusting the captured image with respect to the stabilized power and/or peak wavelength. The computing device comprises feedback components operable to receive the adjusted captured image, extract features, and analyze the one or more features to determine an event, property, measurement and/or status.

A device includes an output circuit that includes an input port at which a signal is received, an output port at which an impedance-adjusted representation of the signal is provided, and a set of bond wires connecting the input and output ports. The device further includes first and second couplers, each including a respective coupling bond wire along the set of bond wires for inductive coupling with the set of bond wires. The first coupler is oriented relative to the distributed-element output circuit to measure forward power provided by the impedance-adjusted representation of the signal via the output port. The second coupler is oriented relative to the output circuit to measure reflected power received via the output port.

A method for applying RF energy to detect a processing state of an object placed in an energy application zone, during processing of the object, may include applying RF energy to the object during processing. The method may also include receiving computed RF feedback, correlated with one or more processing states of the object; and monitoring the computed RF feedback during the processing to detect the one or more processing states of the object.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling a cooking process of food. The method comprises a step of emitting (101) a plurality of radio frequency signals into the food non invasively. The method also comprises a step of receiving (105) a plurality of reflection signals or transmission signals of the radio frequency signals from the food, wherein the reflection signals is a part of the radio frequency signals that reflect from the food, and the transmission signals is a part of the radio frequency signals that transmit through the food. The method also comprises a step of obtaining (110) a protein status, wherein the protein status is the extent of protein denaturation, in the food in the course of heating the food based on the plurality of radio frequency signals and the plurality of reflection signals or transmission signals. The method also comprises a step of determining (120) a doneness level of the food based on the protein status, and a step of controlling (130) the cooking process of the food based on the determined doneness level. Using the protein denaturation provides a more direct and precise information of the status of food based on established relation between the doneness level and the protein denaturation extent.

Several embodiments include a cooking instrument. The cooking instrument can include a heating system. The heating system can include one or more heating elements capable of emitting wireless energy into the cooking chamber. The cooking instrument can also include a control system. The control system can executing a heating sequence to drive the heating system, detect, based on an output signal of a sensor, a trigger event, and configure the heating system in response to detecting the trigger event.

The invention relates to a method (100) and apparatus for controlling the heating of food ingredients. The method comprises the step of measuring (110) the spectrum of energy absorption of the food ingredients in a given range of radio frequencies. The method also comprises the step of identifying (120), in said given range of radio frequencies, the radio frequency for which the food ingredients have the maximum energy absorption. The method also comprises the step of applying (130) an electrical field to the food ingredients, said electrical field having a radio frequency corresponding to said radio frequency for which the food ingredients have the maximum energy absorption. The step of measuring (110) comprises, for a plurality of selected radio frequencies in said given range of radio frequencies, the steps of: applying an electrical field on the food ingredients having a radio frequency corresponding to a given selected radio frequency in said plurality of selected radio frequencies; and, measuring the ratio between the energy of the radio frequency electrical field reflected or absorbed from the food ingredients, and the energy of the radio frequency electrical field applied to the food ingredients. The plurality of selected radio frequencies are selected from said given range of radio frequencies by the steps of: for each of said given range of radio frequencies, obtaining a penetration depth of an electrical field having a radio frequency corresponding to the given radio frequency into the food ingredients, and including the given radio frequency into the plurality of selected radio frequencies if the penetration depth of the electrical field having a radio frequency corresponding to the given radio frequency is equal to or larger than the thickness of the food ingredients in the direction of the electrical field applied to the food ingredients. This invention allows reducing the heating time of food ingredients.

A method for managing a microwave heating device able to operate based on a first signal having a first fundamental harmonic frequency that is within the microwave range, wherein operation of the microwave heating device (1) is interrupted or modified when, inside the microwave heating device (1), the presence of a second signal is detected, the latter having harmonic components which have frequencies that are different from a fundamental harmonic frequency and an intensity higher than a critical reference value.