A washer system, including: a washer having controllable operational parameters; an optical camera which provides optical data at the washer; a controller configured to: communicate with the washer and the optical camera, receive the optical data from the optical camera, and control the operational parameters of the washer. The washer system includes a processor configured to: receive the optical data, identify, using a machine learning model, types of laundry and quantities of the laundry loaded in the washer using received optical data from the optical camera and data sets stored in a data bank, and communicate with the controller to control the washer to operate using one or more specified operational parameters based on the types of laundry and the quantities of laundry.

A fan system includes a fan having a controllable speed setting or power setting; an optical camera directed outward from the fan and which provides optical data; a controller configured to: communicate with the optical camera, receive the optical data, control rotating directions and the speed setting or the power setting of the fan; and a processor configured to: receive the optical data, identify, using a machine learning model, directions of one or more targets in relation to the fan using the received optical data of the optical camera, access a data bank, determine, using the data bank, the speed setting or the power setting of the fan, and communicate with the controller to control the rotating directions of the fan and the speed setting or power setting of the fan based on the identified directions of one or more targets in relation to the fan.

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

Apparatuses and methods for applying EM energy to a load are provided. The apparatuses and methods may include at least one processor configured to receive information indicative of energy dissipated by the load for each of a plurality of modulation space elements. The processor may also be configured to associate each of the plurality of modulation space elements with a corresponding time duration of power application, based on the received information. The processor may be further configured to regulate energy applied to the load such that for each of the plurality of modulation space elements, power is applied to the load at the corresponding time duration of power application.

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

A heating cooker includes a heating chamber that houses food, a heating unit that heats the food, an imaging unit that acquires image data on the food after the food has been housed in the heating chamber, a setting unit that accepts a user input relating to heating control content defining a heating operation, a storage unit that stores control information in which the image data and the heating control content corresponding to the food specified from the image data are associated with each other, a heating start button that orders the start of the heating operation, and a storage update unit that associates the image data and the heating control content with each other and updates the control information within the storage unit, when the setting unit accepts the user input and then the heating start button orders the start of the heating operation.

Several embodiments include a cooking appliance/instrument (e.g., oven). The cooking appliance/instrument can include a cooking chamber, a support tray adapted to hold food in the cooking chamber; and a heating system comprised of at least a heating element. The heating system is adapted to emit waves according to a particular configuration such that the emitted waves is substantially transparent or substantially opaque to the support tray and thus enabling the cooking instrument to select what to heat.

A microwave cooking appliance and method for operating the same perform an adaptive thermal sensing cycle in which a temperature sensor is used to develop a temperature profile for food being heated or cooked at an intermediate point in the cycle, such that a duration and output level for a subsequent stage of the cycle may be determined at least in part based upon the temperature profile.

A device for cooking by heating comprises: a heating unit for heating food that is accommodated in a cooking cavity, a setting unit for setting a heating control content of the heating unit, a display unit for displaying the heating control content set by setting unit, and a display controller for controlling display on the display unit. Moreover, the device for cooking by heating comprises: an image capturing unit for capturing the inside of the cooking cavity, and a storage unit for storing an image captured by image capturing unit and the heating control content set by setting unit in a correspondence table in association with each other. The display controller controls display so as to display images stored in the storage unit in a list on the display unit, and the setting unit sets, based on selection of an image from the list, the associated heating control content in the correspondence table in the storage unit.

A defrosting system includes an RF signal source, one or more electrodes, a transmission path between the RF signal source and the electrode(s), and an impedance matching network coupled along the transmission path. A system controller may modify the impedance matching network to reduce the reflected signal power. The system controller may determine an initial estimate of the mass of the load. Desired signal parameters for the RF signal may be determined based on the initial estimated mass of the load. The system controller may determine a refined estimate of the load mass based on a rate of change of an S11, VSWR, or reflected power parameter measured at the transmission path, or based on elapsed time between matches. Refined signal parameters for the RF signal may be determined based on the refined estimated mass.