An electromagnetic cooking device includes an enclosed cavity configured to receive a food load, a plurality of high power amplifiers and RF feeds for introducing electromagnetic radiation into the cavity, and a controller for controlling the frequency, phase and amplitude of the electromagnetic radiation fed into the cavity by the RF feeds. The controller is configured to identify resonant modes, develop and implement a heating strategy based on the resonant modes, utilize an asynchronous manager to automatically detect when a variable has changed to a degree that requires an updated identification of resonant modes and an updated heating strategy, and if the asynchronous manager determines that updates are needed, repeat the steps above to determine a new heating strategy, otherwise continue with the current heating strategy.

A high-frequency heating apparatus includes: a heating chamber for accommodating a load; a microwave source; at least one radiator; a temperature detector; and a controller. The microwave source generates a microwave and adjusts the frequency and output of the microwave. The at least one radiator radiates a microwave into the heating chamber. The temperature detector detects the temperature in the heating chamber. The controller causes the microwave source to adjust the output of the microwave based on the temperature profile that defines the temperature change in the load, and the temperature in the heating chamber. According to this aspect, food can be heated in accordance with the temperature profile appropriate for the cooking recipe, thereby ensuring the quality of cooked food.

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.

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.

Processes and systems that enhance the heating of packaged foodstuffs and other items in various microwave heating systems are described herein. The foodstuffs may be contained in a package including one or more energy control elements that interact with microwave energy in order to alter the effect that microwave energy has on the foodstuff. These energy control elements can enhance or inhibit microwave energy and a single package may include one or more energy control elements. In some cases, the energy control element may respond differently to different types of microwave energy. As a result, some packages described herein may exhibit different absorption or reflectance characteristics when exposed to microwave energy while being pasteurized or sterilized in a larger-scale microwave heating system than when the package is reheated in an at-home microwave oven prior to consumption or use.

The present invention relates to a microwave powered sensor assembly for microwave ovens. The microwave powered sensor assembly includes a microwave antenna to generate an RF antenna signal in response to microwave radiation at a predetermined excitation frequency. A direct current (dc) power supply circuit of the microwave powered sensor assembly is operatively coupled to the RF antenna signal to extract energy from the RF antenna signal and produce a power supply voltage. A sensor is connected to the power supply voltage and configured to measure a physical or chemical property of a food item under heating in a microwave oven chamber.

An electromagnetic cooking device and method of controlling the same is provided herein. The cooking device has a cavity in which a liquid is placed and a plurality of RF feeds configured to introduce electromagnetic radiation into the cavity for heating the liquid. A controller is provided and is configured to: analyze forward and backward power at the plurality of RF feeds to calculate efficiency; determine and monitor a coefficient of variation of the efficiency; detect a boiling state in the liquid based on changes in the coefficient of variation; and adjust a power level of the electromagnetic radiation in response to detection of the boiling state to prevent the liquid from

A cooking system is disclosed. The cooking system is configured to prepare a selected food over a desired time period. The cooking system comprises a controller in communication with a heating apparatus and a user interface. The controller is configured to access a cooking database for the selected food and display a range of available times for the desired time period according to the cooking database. The controller is further operable to receive a selection of the desired time period from the user interface and control the heating apparatus to heat a food load to prepare the selected food to a predetermined quality in the desired time.

Heating control information recognizing unit recognizes heating control information of an object to be heated from an image of the inside of heating chamber captured by imaging unit, and heating controller controls heating unit based on the heating control information. When it is difficult for heating control information recognizing unit to perform recognition, disposing position guide unit guides the object to be heated to a capturing range of imaging unit. It is thus possible to recognize the heating control information with a simple configuration including a single camera functioning as imaging unit.

A multi-functional cooking device and a food capsule are provided. The multi-functional cooking device integrates a plurality of cooking functions through circuits, structures, and software programs that are implemented by an embedded system. The multi-functional cooking device includes a body formed with an accommodating space for disposing the food capsule, a main body structure including a water storage component, an accommodating component, a water providing component, a heating component, a penetrating component, and one or more cooking tools disposed inside the body that cook food inside the food capsule. The multi-functional cooking device includes a circuit system implementing a plurality of cooking programs, the circuit system including a control circuit for controlling the multi-functional cooking device, a control panel for providing a selection of the cooking programs, and functional components, e.g., a heater, a microwave emitter, a fan unit, a water spray unit, and a sealing unit.